Haunted Mansion
by LuvinAniManga
Summary: Something's amiss when the gang finds itself all trapped within the old Kaiba Mansion. There's a ghost about... Will they live to tell the tale? The key word being...LIVE! SMALL romance undertones
1. Enter the Mansion

**Originally Written: October 23, 2004. **

**Originally Posted: 10-27-04**

**Final Review Number (Previous): 108 (6 Chapters)**

**(Please keep in mind that the new review number will be added to the one above.)**

**HI. YEP, THIS IS LUVINANIME, AND I'M BACK! NO ONE CAN KEEP ME AWAY! YES, MY ACCOUNT WAS CLOSED DOWN FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, SO I'VE HAD TO REPOST ALL OF THESE STORIES. KEEP IN MIND THE POINTS ABOVE! THANK YOU. ENJOY THE UNCHANGED STORY(IES)!

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NOTE: Welcome to fic #6 (continuous, that is)! I wanted to get this up during the Halloween season (at least: start it…cause it won't be finished in time, of course), so yeah. There are romance undertones in this story. UNDERTONES. I am trying to stay a tad bit away from the romance idea: but that doesn't mean there won't be some….

Also, Noa is not in this fic…therefore, I am saying that…_sniffs_…unfortunately, Noa's Arc didn't happen (in this fic, of course).

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

_**Haunted Mansion**_

**Chapter 1: Enter the Mansion**

_October (15)_

"I want it destroyed. Yes, you heard me: **demolished: devastated: destroyed**! I want nothing of it to remain," Seto Kaiba spoke on the phone to a bulldozing company.

"And I want it done as soon as possible. How long will that be?" …. "A MONTH! You expect me to wait a month to destroy that doggone mansion! Argh!" Seto suddenly hung up on the poor man, by slamming down the phone onto its proper place, in the phone jack. He sighed and rubbed his temples. This was going to be harder than he thought.

He wanted the old Kaiba Mansion destroyed. He wanted no evidence of it ever being there. It wasn't that he had ever lived there. No. All he knew was that the property had belonged to Gozaburo, and therefore, it was now his responsibility. It seemed his stepfather had moved into the present Kaiba Mansion a little before Seto and Mokuba had come to live with him.

Seto hadn't ever really given the mansion much thought, however, now that he had some free time to think, and the city of Domino needed more land for various things, he was more that happy to give the retched land away…for a good sum of money, of course.

However, before the work was completed, he did want to see what his father had previously lived in, just out of curiosity. He wanted to see if it was at all like their contemporary home.

Mokuba had wanted to join him; however, Seto wasn't so sure about that. The mansion was run-down: there were leaks, the shutters and floorboards were loose, and vines crept along the whole house. It was literally being devoured by nature.

However, this was only natural. The house had stood for a couple generations of Kaibas, and it had been in generally good shape. However, it seemed that just before Gozaburo had left, he had practically destroyed the home. That's what left it in such condition (also with the help of nature, as said).

However, with the bulldozing company acting so slowly, he could have plenty of time to scope it out. His phone suddenly started ringing again. He hastily picked it up and practically shouted into the phone.

"**Seto Kaiba, who is it**!"

"Um…Mister Kaiba…it's Raquith's Demolition Company. Sir…we managed to find that we actually can bulldoze your desired area in two weeks, instead of in a months…sir…that is…if you haven't found someone else already-"

"Two weeks?" Seto calmed down a little bit, "That's better. Not as soon as I had wished, however, it works. What are the terms of your business?"

And with that, Seto Kaiba started ensuring the destruction of the building of one of his most hated enemies….

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"Seto? Is the mansion going to be destroyed?" Mokuba asked him at dinner.

"Yes, Mokuba. It's falling back to earth: exactly where that heap of dirt belongs," he answered.

"Okay…." Mokuba took a bite of his spaghetti. "Hey Seto?" he started asking, again.

"Yes?"

"…Have you decided if I can come with you to explore the remains?"

"I don't know, Mokuba…. It could be dangerous for you to go in there-"

"Oh, come on, Seto! What's so dangerous about it? A few floorboards here and there, but that's dangerous for you too! It's not like Gozaburo set any traps in there or anything for us. From records, it's shown that he didn't even know we existed by the time he moved away. He wouldn't have set up anything."

"True, however, there's also general security. He may not only have had guards and dogs, Mokuba. He could have had much more. Also, this house has been there for years. Dating back, these houses could have some sort of "restricted" passages, which could lead you who-knows-where. And then what? You could be lost for good within that contraption," Seto explained.

"Seto, _PLEASE_? I **really, really, really** want to see the house!"

"I really don't know why you want to see it, Mokuba. I'm only going because…because I have to," Seto fibbed.

"Liar," Mokuba stated, "You want to go to see what it looked like, too! _PLEASE TAKE ME WITH, SETO!_" Mokuba fell from the chair to his knees; kneeling before his brother, with his hands in prayer fashion, and throwing on the world-famous puppy-dog eyes. His large, round, shining grey eyes were even brimming with small tears, threatening to fall if Seto said the "wrong thing."

"I-…You…Mokuba-"

"_SETO_!" Mokuba pleaded. Seto couldn't fall for these false tears again... No. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He was Seto Kaiba. His actions weren't influenced by his brother…all the time. He was going to flat out deny his brother. It was just too dangerous and risky.

Seto took a deep breath, ready to reject his brother's request, and tensing up for the oncoming waterfall of tears, "…Alright, Mokie. You can come." Wait. What the heck had he just said? Wasn't he going to _refuse_ to take him along? Did he just _invite_ him to come?

"YEAH!" the tears immediately vanished, "THANK YOU SETO!" Mokuba hugged his brother (albeit over such a useless argument). Seto blinked. No, no, no. He had to get it right now: he was going to tell his brother he had misspoke:

"You're welcome, kiddo." Seto stopped again. WHAT THE CRAP WAS THAT? What was wrong with him today? Why couldn't he speak right? Was he having a sort of…mental dyslexia or something? Saying the thing backwards from what he had intended? Seto sighed. What had he gotten himself into?

Oh well: what was done was done. He would have to _live_ with it. Maybe it wouldn't be so dangerous after all…if they only took precautions. They would visit in a week, just to get it all over with.

Thunder started rolling among the clouds outside: the first roll had been threateningly loud, scaring poor Mokuba into his brother's lap. It had taken them both by surprise, though. Since when had a storm been on the radar?

Seto Kaiba would regret the day he "agreed" to take his brother with him.

* * *

_A Week Later_

Joey nodded his head violently to the music rocking out from the radio in his pick-up truck. His sister sat next to him, and Mai was on Serenity's right. The two were looking at him, worriedly.

"Joey…could you please pay attention to the road and not the music?" his sister asked.

"Yeah, boy, calm down," Mai demanded. "Heck, it's raining outside, making it even easier to slip up while driving. Pay attention already!"

"Sorry guys, but I just love this song!" Joey retorted. Duke was driving his green convertible (with the top down, of course) behind Joey's truck, with Tristan, Yugi, Tea and Ryou as the passengers. They were all coming back from an afternoon out on the town, just hanging out.

To get back to their "section" of town, Joey took a shortcut road on the brim of the city. Duke followed. They hadn't used the road before, but they knew where it led, thanks to maps and such. They drove for a little while, until suddenly, Joey slammed on the brakes. Duke yelped behind their car and shot on the brakes himself. He skidded a couple feet and just barely stopped before hitting Joey's truck.

Joey popped open the door and hopped out, not bothering to grab and umbrella; and circled around the car.

"Joey? What the heck's the matter with you?" Duke yelled at him, getting out of the car himself.

"I just noticed somethin' dat's all," Joey answered, walking to the sidewalk on the other side of the street. The other passengers to both cars became curious and popped out themselves.

"Joey, what did you see?" Tristan inquired.

"Well, just look!" Joey stepped in front of a large iron gate, which had large K's engraved into them. The others crowded around him, and peered through the bars of the gate.

"Whoa," Yugi commented.

"Ditto," Ryou added.

"It's…a mansion," Serenity said.

"Yeah…" Tea looked over it in awe.

"Good God, it's **huge**!" Tristan exclaimed.

"Amen…" Joey replied. "Kinda creepy too, ya know?"

"Precisely," Ryou affirmed. He was starting to feel a bit nervous standing in front of these foreboding gates. Bakura was acting up in his mind. The spirit was becoming very hyperactive and jumpy. He kept on murmuring some rants about "dark auras" and "evil spirits." Ryou shook his head. He didn't want to think about any of that right now.

"I dare ya ta go in," Joey pushed Yugi further towards the gates. "It's _October_ after all…the "Halloween" month…the month of ghouls and goblins!" Joey laughed manically, or at least tried to. He wasn't doing a very good job, not having practiced, like a certain corporate executive we know.

"What? Crap no!" Yugi stumbled backwards, trying to scamper away.

"Chicken."

"I'm not a chicken! If you're so brave yourself, you go in!" Yugi cried back.

"Fine den," Joey stood up straight and tall. He began advancing towards the gates, only going to clamber over them, and come back immediately.

Tea started looking around for some sort of hint at the previous owner, being curious, but found something else instead. Her face contorted into anger.

"Joey…are you blind?"

"No, uh…why do ya ask?" he stopped and turned around.

"How did you miss these signs?" she strode over, grabbed him by the ear and shoved his face into a sign.

"Ow! Tea!" Joey said, as his face was rammed into a sign. "I can't read a ting!" Tea sighed and pulled him back slightly. Joey squinted, and read slowly, "Re…strict…ed…Area…No…Tress…passing. Vio…lators…will be…_prostituted_? **PROSTITUTED? WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE THEY**!"

"Not prostituted, you imbecile!" Tristan punched Joey, "Prosecuted! Restricted Area: No Trespassing. Violators will be prosecuted! Duh!"

"Um…then we really shouldn't be here…" Ryou said; turning around, ready to zoom back to the car. Bakura was really starting to scare him right now…. "Besides, we're getting soaked to the bone…." He stopped though, and stared wide-eyed before him.

"Too right: you shouldn't be here," an unfeeling, ominous and dark voice penetrated the shadows.

"**AH**!" Joey spun around and jumped up into Mai's arms (when it really should be the other way around), frantically, scared to death by the sudden appearance of the ominous voice. Mai sighed and dropped him onto the sidewalk. Everyone turned around and stared at whom stood before them.

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"K-Kaiba? Whaddya d-doing h-here?" Tristan stuttered. The CEO had scared him as well.

"Geez, Kaiba! You should warn someone before ya just pop outta nowhere like dat!" Joey scolded from the wet ground, "_scarin' us like dat…so evil…"_ he muttered.

Serenity looked back and forth between the gates and Kaiba; a connection forming in her head, "He owns the lot."

"What?" Joey looked up from the ground.

"Well, at least there's someone smart in the group: I'm surprised it's a Wheeler though," Seto sneered. Serenity frowned at him, and Joey stood up immediately.

"**Stop talkin' ta my sista dat way!"**

"Get off my property," Seto replied, just as demanding. "I can have you all prosecuted, you know. So the signs say."

"Shove it, Kaiba, we were just leaving," Tea growled out.

"Only reason we're here is because Joey _had_ to stop to see what the heck this place was," Tristan ground out.

"That, I can believe," Seto smirked.

"Seto…what's going on?" Mokuba suddenly popped up behind his brother, "Oh! Hey guys!"

"Hey Mokuba," Mai replied, as did some others.

"What are you all doing here?" Mokuba inquired.

"Nothing. We were just leaving," Yugi said.

"Oh. Seto and I are going to scope out this place before we tear it down. Our stepfather used to live here before he moved into our current house. Seto just wants to see-"

"Mokuba, that's enough. Anymore from you, and they'll be wanting to tag along, too," Seto said, hardly.

"As if!" Ryou suddenly shivered, "I don't even have the bloodiest idea why you two are going in there! It's certainly giving me the creeps! I can't stand it!" Ryou complained. The others all looked at him. They had never seen Ryou so scared before.

Mokuba suddenly looked past his brother and squinted in the dim light. There was only one streetlight on. The others had extinguished. The city didn't really bother with the lights out here on the outskirts. Mokuba's eyes widened.

"Duke!" the boy cried out, "How did you get in there!"

Everyone suddenly turned around, and saw that Duke was indeed standing on the inside of the grounds of the mansion, behind the iron gates.

Seto scowled, "**Devlin, what the crap are you doing? Get back out here this instant**!" Duke just smiled evilly, his emerald eyes glinting sharply in the darkness quickly, before settling down into a dull green. He just turned his body and began advancing on the mansion.

"**Devlin, get your hind back here!"** Seto ran up to the gate and shouted at him. Duke paid no mind to him and continued to walk.

"Geez…I had only been kiddin' when I said for someone to go in," Joey stated.

"So this is your fault!" Seto rounded on the blond.

"Quit it, you two! It's not anybody's fault!" Tea jumped in, "Duke's not acting normally! Can't you see it? Something's wrong! We have to go after him!"

"No: **I** am going in after him. The rest of you are staying out here," Seto directed.

"As if!" Serenity suddenly spoke up, "He's our friend and **we **have to go help him!"

"No. It's my property, so it's my demands. You're lucky I'm not pressing any charges against you lot, but Devlin's another story. So, **I'm** going to get him," Seto continued.

"Well, then you'll have to retrieve him with us," Serenity gave a quick affirming nod, and proceeded to the iron gates. She slowly hauled herself up them, climbing over the top and dropping to the muddy floor.

"**Wheeler! Get your butt back here NOW!"** Seto further yelled.

"**HEY! STOP TALKIN' TO HER DAT WAY, YA IDIOT!"** Joey reprimanded Seto. "Hold up, Serenity, I'm comin'!" Joey then called out, and clambered up the wet and slippery gates.

"Yeah! Who gives you the right to talk to poor Serenity like that? Wait for me, you two!" Tristan called, and ran up and over after them.

"What is it with you people and disobeying law!" Seto stomped his foot on the ground in frustration.

Yugi shrugged and followed his friends. Ryou sighed and went with the flow. All that now remained were Mai and Tea (save the Kaiba brothers).

"Uh…aren't you two going in?" Mokuba asked, hesitantly, whilst receiving an enormous glare from his elder brother.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK WE ARE?" Mai yelled suddenly, seemingly offended. Mokuba looked thoroughly shocked and confused. Seto had a raised eyebrow as well.

"What Mai means to say is that: **why should we give you two the opportunity to look up our skirts?**" Tea ground out. "Not that little Mokuba would," she added quickly. Mokuba flushed furiously, and hid behind his brother.

"**That** was uncalled for: in the presence of a child," Seto spat at them.

"Screw it: it's been done. Now you two either get going or find someway to open the blasted door," Mai folded her arms.

"Temper, temper," Seto sneered, proceeding to the gate. He gave some tugs to it, yet it still didn't open. He gave an extra hard pull, but slipped on the slick pavement, falling onto his backside. Mokuba tried to hide his laughter, while the girls had no such intentions. They had wanted to live to see the day when Seto Kaiba embarrassed himself in front of people: and they were going to thoroughly enjoy it. Seto scowled at them, and stood up, still attempting to open the gate. After getting some help from his brother…and some volunteered help from the girls, they had the gate opened just enough so that they could all squeeze through. Good thing they all had a slim physique….

The others were already at the door, waiting for the other four as Seto, Mokuba, Tea and Mai came up to them.

"Open the dang door already!" Seto ordered.

Joey didn't listen. He was eyeing the mud stains on Seto's shirt and pants, "What happened to you?"

"Never mind! Just open the door!"

"Kaiba, we can't. It's jammed," Tristan explained.

"Then…where's Duke?" Tea asked.

"He's inside," Serenity mumbled out.

"…How…exactly?" Mai squeaked. This was really starting to freak her out. And Mai Valentine wasn't one to usually "get freaked."

"He v-vanished," Ryou stuttered, due to his shaking from the cold rain and the fear growing rapidly inside him.

"What do you mean: vanished?" Mokuba blinked.

"We saw him walk up here; but when we ran up da stairs…he was gone. We saw him…and then our sight was blocked by a section of da wall: but when we could see da door again, we couldn't see Duke," Joey explained.

"And the door is bolted shut," Tristan repeated.

"Did it ever occur to you that he could have opened the door and locked us out?" Seto thought out logically.

"Dude…by bolted, I mean bolted," Tristan pointed to the door frame. Seto squinted, and saw with surprise, that the door was literally nailed into the frame. The door wasn't meant to open…and yet Duke was inside…supposedly.

"H-How do you know he's inside then? Maybe he snuck off somewhere…" Mokuba looked around the yard slightly, only somewhat hoping to see Duke's shadow. He was driven by fear…but he was also driven to find his friend. But this was all so creepy….

"He's inside: I can feel it," everyone turned around to view the speaker. It was Ryou. No…not Ryou. Bakura.

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Whew…okay: I'm going to admit that I myself started getting just a little, tiny, teensy-weensy bit spooked near the end of the chapter. You tell me what you think about it: will it be a good story? Do you like it? Is it worthy, so far, of being called a horror story? That's where I leave off…except with one last question…what's up with Duke…?

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PLEASE REVIEW! (If no one reviews or if you all dislike it, I'll take it off.) Oh, also…I know this is _supposed_ to be a "horror" story, but I don't think I'm that good at scaring people. But I can try! So don't get mad at me for that.


	2. Something Freaky Is Going On

NOTE: Okay, I've been hearing a lot about pairings…and it's only supposed to be romance undertones. I'm focusing more on the "horror" prospect…but, as we know I can't live without seeing some romance. Just give me some time to jumble my thoughts together. Okies? I've heard for many different pairings, and I'm leaning towards my usual ones, but I don't want to upset people. Anywho, on with the story!

(PS: It's rated this way, just for "blood and gore," or at least more amounts of it, and rants about death and such, than I thought good for PG. However, it's a light PG-13 story, this is (my first one too). I just rated it this way to be safe. It's about the rating of "Pirates of the Caribbean," or "Spiderman."

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 2: Something Freaky Is Going On**

"Bakura," Yami stated lowly, as he quickly took over Yugi's body. "What brings you out here?"

"What else, Pharaoh? Is this not the most lovely of atmosphere? The fear…the mystery…the lingering taste of _death_?" Bakura licked his lips.

Tea shuddered, "D-Death? D-Duke's not d-dead…is he?"

"Heavens no, dear girl," Bakura laughed, "His job has not yet been completed.

"Wait," Seto stepped in, "What job? How do you know of all this? **Explain yourself!**"

"Cool it, Kaiba. I merely know these things by…experience, and foresight. Well…not foresight, exactly. I just have a sense of these things. If you wish to prove me wrong, then go on inside and see for yourself of what has become of him," Bakura suggested.

"And how do we do that, you numbskull? The door is bolted shut," Seto replied, coolly, losing his patience and temper.

"With every door there is always a way in," Bakura simply stated.

"So let's break it down already!" Tristan punched his fist.

"I'm wit' Tristan!" Joey sided, "Let's break it down! Or open…. Whatevea'!"

"Yeah…. It can't be that hard. The door is really old, isn't it? Seto could break it down," Mokuba put faith into his brother.

"Guys…this thing is solid oak if you haven't noticed?" Serenity knocked on the door.

Something creaked.

Everyone turned to face the door. It was slowly opening….

"G-Guys…is that even p-physically p-possible?" Tea shook even more violently.

"I don't think so, hun, and I'm not one to pay attention in science class," Mai whispered.

"Big brother…what's happening!" Serenity held onto her brother's shirt.

"I-I dunno, sis. It was…_bolted_. An' now…it's _openin'!_ Wit'out any 'elp!" Joey's knees began shaking.

"This is just like in the movies;" Tristan breathed heavily, "The place is haunted! Let's get outta here!" he turned suddenly and started high-tailing off the porch.

"Oh no you don't!" Mai grabbed his collar as he passed, "Duke's in there and we're ALL going in. Even if it kills us," she stated.

How she would regret saying that last sentence….

"…Come on then, you losers," Seto said coolly, briskly walking in, "There's no such things as ghost: like magic."

"WHAT DO YOU CALL ME!" Yami and Bakura shouted at his back.

Seto stopped and barely turned his head, "Freaks."

The yamis fumed. And their protégé's…or in Ryou's case, host, quickly took over, before anything got messy.

No doubt, though, that Bakura would return once he was finished fuming.

Mokuba trotted along after Seto, with Yugi in tail. Serenity clung to her brother as they walked in slowly, Tristan acting as a bodyguard for Serenity as well. Mai walked in after Joey, and Ryou followed. He stopped and turned around, though, seeing Tea not following.

"Tea? Whatever is the matter?"

"I just have a good feeling about this place. Something…something bad is going to happen. I just know it."

"I know the feeling. But half the time, it's paranoia, due to the fact that I hang around Bakura all the time," Ryou laughed lightly. Seeing this was not the time for jokes, he stopped. "…You coming?"

"I don't want to…but I have to," she replied, taking steps towards the door.

The gang slowly filtered into the front room. Seto took out his flashlight, flipped it on, and started looking over the room.

"It's a lot like our mansion," Mokuba whispered as the light slowly went over the ceiling, grand staircase, molded carpet and various other things.

"He's left many expensive things in here. Some of which I could use," Seto smirked, while running the flashlight over some of Gozaburo's valuables.

"Who's he-" Yugi started to ask, but was cut off.

_Taking things is the least of your worries right now…._ A voice carried through the house. Mai shrieked.

"That sounded-" Tristan started.

"Familiar," Mokuba ended.

"Like Duke," Tristan said.

"No, no. Not entirely, I don't think," Mokuba replied, "there was a deeper voice in there…."

Seto began turning the flashlight around the room.

The light landed on a pair of black shoes.

Serenity clutched her heart. That had freaked her out.

"I knew that was going to happen," Tristan crossed his arms. "It always happens in the movies."

"Well, for your information, this isn't a movie," Tea retorted, "At least…I don't think so," she took a side glance at Seto, starting to wonder if he had set them up. It would have been a very good prank, which Seto could have gotten a big laugh at. Heck, Tea had seen the shows and movies where people were sent somewhere, not knowing they were being taped, and horrible things happened. It meant to be very good entertainment.

Seto looked back at her, "You think I'd actually do something like that? Waste a bunch of money to see you geeks squirm? Actually…that's not a bad idea. But if you forget, I'm here too, you know."

"Yeah! But you haven't been scared squat!" Joey yelled at him, "You KNEW about all this stuff!"

"_Did he know about that_?" Seto raised his light to see that the speaker was indeed Duke. And he was pointing behind them. They all turned around and saw….

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The door was closed. And it was firmly bolted shut.

"WHAT? WHO DID DAT?" Joey exclaimed, rushing to the door, and trying futilely to pull it open. "If it opened once, it'll do it again!" Joey grunted, trying to heave the oak door open, still.

Tristan rushed over to help, "Dude! It's stuck now!"

"_Of course it is, fools. There's no way out now. You're in my territory, and I plan to make use of it,"_ Duke sneered evilly, his eyes a bright…way TOO bright…green. Suddenly, a strong look of fatigue crossed his face, and Duke fell to the floor, in a crumpled heap.

"Duke!" Serenity cried out, her hands over her mouth, rushing over to him.

"Serenity, wait! It could be dangerous over there!" Mokuba ran after her.

"Duke! Duke! Are you alright! PLEASE WAKE UP!" Serenity bent down and flipped him onto his back, surveying him, and shaking his shoulders. "DUKE! WAKE THE HECK UP!" She was in tears now. What was everyone saying about death…?

"Serenity, calm down. I'm sure he's alright…" Mokuba added, hesitantly, "Maybe he just passed out…."

"Yeah," Mai suddenly came up behind them, "look. He's still breathing. Calm down, girl."

"I can't! This is freakin' me out, guys! And…and…EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT DEATH!"

"Serenity…that was only Bakura," Yugi came over.

"But…but…what Duke said…taking stuff away is the _least_ of our worries! What is the biggest of them? Huh? I'll tell you what! DEATH!" Serenity was breathing harshly now.

_Good…good…._ Serenity looked up, terror etched all over her face.

"**I'M HEARING VOICES IN MY HEAD!**" she screeched.

"Serenity, calm down," Mokuba was at her side now, his arms around her shoulders, rubbing her arms to calm her.

"I CAN'T!" she erupted into a waterfall of tears, "I WANT OUT!"

"Serenity!" Joey was over now, down on the floor beside his sister, ready to comfort her. He took her into his arms, away from Mokuba and started consoling her, "It's alrigh'…it's gonna be okay. Calm down, now. You're a Wheelea'! You have backbone, sis!"

"Some pep talk," Seto muttered. A jab in the ribs was someone's response. Seto grunted and looked in the direction from which the jab had come. Tea was watching concernedly. She glanced up at Seto and smirked. Seto glared back. What right did she have to do that?

Duke moaned suddenly. Everyone looked down. The boy's eyes fluttered open, lazily.

"What the…happened?" Duke sat up, rubbing his head. A wave of nausea over took him, but he held it down.

"You don't look so good…" Ryou said, "Your face is…pale. And has got hints of green too…."

"Don't feel the greatest either," Duke heaved, falling backwards. Tristan caught him.

"Whoa there. Relax, we're all here for ya," Tristan said.

"What happened?" Duke asked again.

"That's what we want to know…from you," Mai interjected.

"Yeah!" Joey exclaimed, "What was wit' coming' in here an' all?"

"_I_ led you in here?" Duke inquired.

"Heck, yeah," Mai retorted.

"Oh…. I don't know. I don't…remember anything…coming in here…or whatever," Duke replied.

"So, you don't even know how you got into the house in the first place?" Tea asked, "It's hard to believe the door opened by itself for us in the first place, but for you too? That would be weird…."

"I swear I don't remember…. Much, at least. I do remember…a light sensation. It was a floating feeling…kind of like I was…I dunno…a ghost for a moment. Just a moment though. No longer…."

Seto was trying to bput two and two together, "So, are you trying to say you…_phased_ through the door? What kind of baloney is that?"

"It doesn't' seem like much "baloney,"" Ryou stated, "This house, I must say, is pretty wacky. First, Duke becomes possessed-"

"POSSESSED?" everyone gaped at him.

"Well, yes," Ryou explained, "Wasn't he? Did no one else notice the glazed…and then bright eyes? The secondary voice within his? The darkness? I mean come on people! It was SO OBVIOUS!" Ryou became…so…un-Ryou like. Everyone just looked at the British boy as if someone had possessed _him._

"Alright, look. Let's just try to get out of here already. Nobody wants to be here, unless they're a brainless idiot," Mai directed at Seto, seeing that he wanted to further explore his house, "So, let's break a window or something."

"Not on my property!" Seto accused.

"Isn't it being torn down anyway, Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"Mokuba!" Seto threw out.

"Ah! So we _can_ break a window!" Joey jumped up.

"I have not yet approved that!" Seto pointed a finger at him.

"Screw you," Joey rushed over to a window.

"**Wheeler**!" Seto shouted, "**Get your hind back here this instant!"**

Joey stuck out his tongue, "NAH!"

"You imbecile!" Seto ran over and grabbed him by the collar, pushing him against the wall. Er…wall _window_ that is…with most extreme force.

"YOU IDIOT!" Seto yelled into Joey's face.

"Guys…" Yugi started.

"WHAT?" Seto spun around.

"Uh…Kaiba? How hard did you shove Joey against that window?"

"Ow…enough to give me a serious pain in ma' back," Joey winced.

"…It didn't break," Yugi said.

"Your point?" Seto threw out.

"Well…if some strong force is supposed to break a window…that would have broken it, right? But…it didn't break," Yugi explained.

Everyone looked at the window. Indeed, there wasn't even a single crack.

"What-" Tristan started.

"The-" Joey said.

"Heck," Duke finished.

Seto analyzed it all, "…That's impossible…." He dropped Joey down, and looked around quickly for a piece of furniture. He found a crummy end table, and picked it up. He hurled it at the window with as much strength as possible.

But there was no crash.

There was no shatter.

All the table did was shatter on contact with the window.

The opposite way from what everyone had thought would happen. Splinters of wood flew everywhere around them. Once the place was calm again, Mokuba started.

"Seto…that wasn't supposed to happen…was it?"

Seto just stared at the table, shock registering all over his features, "This…can't…be…happening…. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" he roared. Seto feel to the ground and pounded his fists on the ground, "WHAT THE CRAP IS WRONG WITH THIS GODFORSAKEN PLACE!"

Everyone shivered at Seto's uproar. He was angry…. And no one was safe when Seto Kaiba was angry.

Tea turned away from the group. She couldn't take this anymore. They had to get out. She looked around, using the extra rays of light from the fallen flashlight that emitted to other parts of the room.

Her eyes traveled the length staircase, from bottom to top. Her eyes widened

when she saw the top.

"Oh…my…God," she whispered….

* * *

Hey! Sorry it's sort of short. Nothing much scary in here. Just suspense, I guess…and mystery. And a cliffie! YEAH! Well, I posted this up as an extra-special Halloween treat, so I hope you enjoyed it! PLEASE REVIEW! 


	3. I See Dead People

NOTE: I'm glad to see you guys are enjoying my "horror" story! And you guys even admit that it is sort of freaky (unless that's a lie….). But I guarantee, even if it isn't the full truth, this fic will get creepier and more gross later. I PROMISE. My thoughts have become slightly….revolting: in my context. Of course, in my context, ANYTHING gory is awful, but oh well. Enjoy!

PS: Hope you like the chapter title!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 3: I See Dead People**

"Oh…my…God," Tea whispered. Her eyes widened over the next few seconds. Suddenly: "Oh my God; oh my God; oh my GOD!" she began hyperventilating. Everyone turned to face her. Yugi ran over to her side, taking her by the arm.

"Tea? What happened!"

Tea spun around to face Kaiba, "**I thought you said that this place was deserted!"**

"It is, Gardner," Seto sneered.

"Well, I would rethink that statement!" Tea yelled, "**There was someone up there!**" she pointed towards the top of the stairs. "And-! _He HAD A_ **DAGGER**!"

"WHAT?" Mai jumped, "A _dagger?"_

"YES!"

"Tea…hate to break it to ya, but I dun see anyone up der," Joey looked at the stairs.

"But he WAS up there!" Tea shrieked. "His body was…I dunno! He _looked_ human…but…there was a sort of…air to him. I swear he had a sort of…greenish glow…like-"

"A g-ghost!" Mokuba gasped out. Tea nodded. But there was something also about this "ghost." He looked most familiar…. It wasn't that she knew him or anything, but from her quick glance at him, the ghost reminded her of someone….

"Mokuba, listen to yourself!" Seto suddenly interrupted. "Ghosts and goblins? What crap are you freaks talking about? There is nothing "whacked-out" about this house. It's an abandoned mansion. Big deal! Get a load of yourselves and go buy some brains: if any of you can afford them. There is no such thing as the supernatural," he gave his renowned speech.

"**But you didn't see him!"** Tea shivered. "And him with that…dagger."

"What did he do with the dagger?" Tristan inquired.

"…He threw it."

"WHERE?" Serenity flipped out.

"Behind him – into the wall," Tea pointed at the wall behind the stairs on the second floor.

Seto briefly glanced up, "I see no blade. You all are idiots. Complete and utter morons. Now let's get out of here before you all drive me to the mental hospital."

"How do you suggest we escape, _oh great one_?" Mai inquired.

"Yeah! If you haven't noticed, the window didn't exactly break!" Tristan spat out.

"…Why not try upstairs?" Ryou tried.

"Yeah," Duke agreed, dazedly.

"Not with Duke in this condition!" Serenity bent down next to him, "We'll split up! Someone has to stay here and look after Duke. The rest of you go on. …I'll stay."

"NO WAY SIS!" Joey bellowed, "IT'S WAYYYYYYYYYYYY TO DANGEROUS!"

"Yeah!" Tristan agreed, "So…I'll stay with you!"

"Wimps," Seto shook his head, walking towards the staircase.

"Wait Kaiba!" Tea ran up next to him. He didn't spare her a glance. "I'm coming with. I want to see if that guy was really-"

"Idiot: there are no such things as ghosts. Get it through your thick skull now," Seto spat, and took a step onto the creaky stairs. Tea scowled.

"Now you listen here, Kaiba!" she stomped her foot on the first step. The stairs rocked. Seto tensed up and stopped, as Tea had wanted.

He turned around, "Quit that."

"No!" she stomped again, "Not until you listen!" again she sent her foot down on the floor. "I don't care how smart you think you are: I don't care if you think you have enough brains to find the cure for cancer! I _know_ what I saw, and you are _not_ going to insult me for that! Tea Gardner _doesn't_ hallucinate!"

"I don't give a crap what "Tea Gardner" does. I don't care what anyone does. I just care that Mokuba and I get out of here," Seto replied, acidly.

"Seto, please stop fighting! It's scary enough in here!" Mokuba ran to his older brother, who was about halfway up the steps.

Seto frowned, "You freaks have manipulated his mind."

"Oh, open your blasted eyes, Kaiba!" Everyone stopped and turned towards the speaker. No way…. They weren't expecting Ryou to flip out….. "This isn't just about _you_ or your brother anymore! We're all in this now! You can't admit that nothing strange has been going on! First, Duke ends up inside, somehow _possessed_, and now Tea is seeing…dead people!"

"Great use of movie quotes," Seto remarked, sarcastically.

"Shut the bloody crap up!" Ryou tramped over to him. Seto was frozen. Had _Ryou Bakura_ just said _that?_ To _him?_ The Apocalypse was on the horizon… (literally). Ryou tread past Tea, and up to Seto's face. "I demand that you quit it with your "high-and-mighty" attitude this instant! It's driving _us_ to the mental ward!"

"You can't order me around, Bakura," Seto retorted.

"I'd like to disagree," Ryou's voice became deeper. Seto now knew he was talking to the infamous Bakura. But he didn't give squat.

"Now you see here-" Seto stopped. Something was creaking.

"What the-" Mai started. Joey grabbed her arm to shut her up. Yugi was trying to figure out what was creaking. An open door or window possibly? Floorboards? Maybe someone was…coming? He didn't like the idea. Wait. Floorboards…. The answer suddenly hit Yugi.

"Tea! Get off the stairs!" Yugi ran over to her.

"Yugi, what-AH!" she yelped, as the stairs beneath her gave way. Yugi reached her just as the floor was collapsing. With ever softening yells, as if they were falling thousands of feet, instead of to a basement floor or whatnot, the two disappeared. All that remained was a large and gaping hole at the bottom of the stairs, with splintered edges of wooden floorboards.

Everyone was silent. No one could even shout out Yugi or Tea's name. It had been that quick…that surprising…that horrendous.

"N-No," Mai managed to whisper, falling to her knees, "W-Where did they go? T-They didn't d-d-d-" she couldn't bring herself to say what was on her mind.

"Of course they didn't die," Duke replied softly, "T-They couldn't have."

"They're probably just a floor below us," Seto suddenly threw out, stepping slightly closer to the hole.

The stairs creaked once more. Seto stepped back, and saw that more and more of the stairs were giving way. He trotted up the stairs quickly, backwards, avoiding each new fall.

"You two: move back!" Seto ordered. They didn't need any motivation. Mokuba and Bakura…now having changed back into Ryou, backed up along the stairs.

"Seto!" Mokuba cried out, seeing his brother narrowly miss falling down into oblivion. The young Kaiba stopped, not wanting to leave his brother.

"Mokuba, go!" Seto ordered.

"No!"

"Come on, young one!" Ryou tried tugging at the boy's sleeve. Mokuba ripped his arm away from the Brit.

Seto reached the last step of the stairs, Mokuba and Ryou right beside him. None of them dared to breathe. The audience downstairs was panicking.

"Don't worry up there!" Joey shouted up, "we'll get y'all down!"

"Shut it, Wheeler!" Seto threw back. Slowly, the man turned his body, still staring at the gaping hole. He then turned his head, sighing in relief to face the top of the stairs.

Seto froze instantly. His eyes quivered, and turned dark in fear. _No way in he-_ His mind stopped working as the translucent figure holding the dagger smirked wickedly and thrust it nearer Seto's throat. Seto stumbled backwards in survival instincts, immediately forgetting the consequences.

His arms flailed as he fell backwards into the stair-less stairwell. Not a sound escaped his lips, which were still frozen in sudden fear.

That figure…. He _was_ there…. Tea _had_ seen him….

"**SETO**!" Mokuba yelled, reaching out his hand to try to grab his brother's. But it was out of reach for him. Seto was enveloped into the darkness below.

"**NO**!" he yelled, leaning forward.

"Mokuba!" Ryou yelled, hearing the others do the same down below. The Brit grabbed the boy by the waist. But it did not stop fate.

The stairs suddenly collapsed under the two's weight changed. Among a mass of splinters and wood, Ryou and Mokuba fell down into the same darkness.

* * *

Joey ran to the beginning of the stairs instinctively. He peered over the edge, and bellowed loudly, "**GUYS! GUYS! CAN YOU HERE ME!"** The others listened as they heard Joey's shouts reverberate off the walls of what seemed to be a long corridor down which Yugi, Tea, Ryou, Mokuba and Seto had fallen.

"They're…they're all gone," Serenity shivered, "Just like that…down into that abyss…."

"Something just doesn't make sense though," Tristan barely dared to whisper, "Why did Kaiba fall in? Didn't you all see him? He practically…purposely backed up and off the stairs."

"He looked really…freaked-out, from what I was able to see…which isn't saying much," Duke held his dizzy head.

"Yeah…you're right," Mai nodded, "What could scare Kaiba like that? I didn't think anything could scare him-"

"Except for losing his littl' bro," Joey came back over to them, his head hanging down.

"Do you think-" Tristan started.

"That he saw that ghost?" Mai finished for him.

"Yeah," Tristan said.

"It's possible," Duke replied. "After all, having your own theory proved wrong right in front of your face could scare anyone to death."

Joey winced, "Don' say 'death.'"

Duke frowned, "Sorry."

"What are we supposed to do now?" Tristan crossed his arms impatiently, "We can't just jump in after them. God knows what happened to them."

"We'll just hafta search the whole dang mansion den," Joey looked around. He spotted the flashlight Seto had dropped, and picked it up. "Dis'll help."

"Should we really explore?" Serenity inquired, "I mean, remember what Tea said? That guy with the dagger? Call me crazy, but I really do believe her. This house is strange enough."

"I believe 'er too, Serenity. Question is…who is he? And what's he want?" Joey pointed the flashlight around the room.

"Wait a minute," Duke looked at Joey, confused. "Where'd you get that flashlight?"

"Kaiba dropped it, dumbo," Joey retorted.

"But…didn't he take it with him…up the stairs? And if he dropped…didn't it fall too?" Duke explained. Everyone stopped.

"Crap yeah…" Mai replied, "I did see that light disappear down there."

"Ah!" Joey dropped the flashlight, as if it was poisoned. "Dis place is cursed!"

"Nah," Tristan dragged out. He bent down and picked up the flashlight. "It looks the same as Kaiba's…but a little different too. Sorta…rusty, dusty and worn out," he shined it around, "But otherwise in perfect condition."

"Well, it's better than nothing," Mai stated.

"Yeah. Let's get going then," Duke started trying to stand.

"Duke, are you sure?" Serenity helped him up nonetheless.

"Positive," Duke smiled and held up a shaky thumb.

"Well, should we try ta go up then?" Joey looked at the irreparable staircase.

"I don't think that's possible," Mai rolled her eyes, "Obviously."

"We can climb the banisters!" Tristan pointed. They were still in tact.

"I don't know," Serenity left Duke for a moment to go to inspect them, "We could very easily fall off and-" she didn't need to finish.

"Then should we just explore the first floor? After all, we have a better chance of finding a door down here to lead into whatever basement-room those five fell in, than we do upstairs," Mai explained.

"True," Duke nodded.

"Hold on a sec," Joey squinted in the dim light, "I wanna see somethin'." He shined the flashlight up on the wall opposite the stairs. The light landed on-

"_A dagger!_" Serenity squeaked.

"N-Not just a dagga'," Joey replied shakily, shining the flashlight elsewhere. "When Tea said the ghost had threw it into the wall behind him, he didn't just to dat. He wrote a message. A nasty soundin' one at dat," Joey explained in a hushed voice.

"What's it say," Duke inquired, "I can't exactly read at the moment."

"_Darkness and Death await you around every corner_," Mai read off. "Oh, _that's_ pleasant. I feel SO much better now."

"But…it's right, Mai," Tristan put in, "After all, Yugi, Tea, Ryou, Mokuba and Kaiba could all be-"

"Dead. We know," Serenity interrupted.

"Well, let's hope not. And let's hope we find them…alive," Duke inserted.

"In the least," Mai added.

"Which way from here?" Joey shined the light to the right and left, "Each way looks just as invitin': they don't," he stated flatly.

"You know," Duke started, "something went on when I was…did Ryou say 'possessed'?" Everyone turned to look at him.

"Well, go on," Tristan urged.

"I sorta had the feeling that…I had been in this place all my life. I felt like I knew every passage; every twist and turn of this whole mansion. I don't remember much of anything now: it's all fuzzy. But I think I do remember something. I do believe there's some sort of garage that way," Duke pointed to the right. "Maybe we can get out that way."

"You sure?" Joey shined his light down that way, "It looks kinda creepy."

"Joey, _everything_ here looks creepy," Mai sighed. "Let's just take his word for it. After all, _possessed_ means 'taken over.' Maybe it was that ghost that had occupied Duke's body. And if the ghost has been here forever, as ghosts usually do, then I would trust it.

"I've talked about magical items, magic itself, mind-and-soul-eating Shadow Realms, ancient pharaohs and sorcerers, and ten-thousand year old Atlantis curse and crap, but never, in my whole life, would I have thought to be talking about real live ghosts. Living spirits that inhabit two of my friends' bodies, but bodiless ghosts? No," Tristan shook his head.

"I agree, it is all very strange," Serenity affirmed. "Ghosts…. It sounds like we're in some sort of horror movie.

"Well, this is by far the scariest horror flick I've ever seen," Duke stated.

"That's because we're in it. Everything is much freakier when it happens to you," Mai retorted.

"Amen," Joey agreed. "Now, if we're done arguin', let's get started den. The sooner we find Yug and the others and get outta here, the safer we'll all be," Joey started walking in the direction Duke had pointed out. Serenity and Tristan helped Duke along, and Mai walked right behind Joey. This was all too freaky.

They had been walking for about two minutes, when the divided gang found themselves in a room with many branching corridors.

"You remember any o' dis, Duke?" Joey squeaked out.

"Nothing whatsoever," Duke replied.

"Gee, great help you are," Tristan replied. Duke glared at him.

"Which way now?" Joey looked at the six halls they could take. "I'm just surprised even a mansion would have this sort of zing to it: with the branched corridors. It looks more like a castle-"

"Or a pyramid," Serenity suddenly spoke up. "A pyramid with many false passages leading robbers and crooks to dead ends, and sometimes…." she paused, "their doom.

A low laugh suddenly started and echoed through every corridor choice the five had.

* * *

Well? I know it's a little slow, but is it still going well? Should I still keep going? I hope I've got at least some of you in some sort of suspense? What happened to the five that fell through the stairs? Who is this ghost? What are the other five going to do? Who laughed? All mysterious questions waiting for equally mysterious answers! Later! PLEASE REVIEW! 


	4. Who Is That?

NOTE: SO SORRY for the late update! I know my promise of "an update a month" but December was a REALLY BUSY MONTH! Let me recap: Exams…Christmas shopping…writing one heck of a Christmas one-shot (just felt I had to)…and vacation (where I was working on other stuff that HAD to come before fanfiction, capice?) Okies? I'm SO SORRY, as I've said, so please forgive, forget and read!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 4: Who Is That?**

Tea stirred and opened her eyes to the best of her ability. Torches with blue flames leapt up form their braziers on the walls. Tea felt something around her waist. She blinked and turn around to see Yugi lying next to her, with his arm draped around her, as if wanting to protect her.

Tea smiled. He was such a sweet boy. He had risked his own life to come and warn Tea about hers. Who better friend was there than him?

She then noticed the presence of something lying on her lower legs and feet. She looked down her body and noticed a lean man draped across them, with his back facing her. He had brunette hair and-

_Oh my gosh_, Tea exclaimed in her thoughts, _it's Kaiba! _She looked around, _And Mokuba and Ryou too! What are they doing here? Did they fall down as well?_

Tea began trying to remember the past events. She and Yugi had fallen through the stairs…. Darkness had enveloped their bodies…. They could here screams shouting their names…. The darkness suffocated them so that they couldn't whisper a breath. The light from the hole in the stairs became smaller and smaller, and the two had wondered why they hadn't hit the floor yet. All too soon, a wave of exhaustion and dizziness came over to two, and they were knocked unconscious as they heard yet another scream…. Something along the lines of "_SETO!"_

Tea nodded. Seto must have fallen down, and Mokuba must have yelled his name. But _how_ could Seto fall? As far as Tea knew, he was the most graceful and un-accidental person she knew! And by graceful, she meant unwavering in balance. It wasn't like she thought of that as a _redeeming_ quality or something.

She tried pulling her feet out slowly, not wanting to disturb him. _Then_ _again, _she pondered, _I really ought to check if they're all alive and breathing. What better way to check than to wake them up?_ Tea first leaned over by Yugi and watched him, while putting a hand on his chest. The small chest cavity rose and fell, just as it should.

Tea sighed in relief. This was a good sign. She then turned to Seto. Tugging her legs, she tried to bring them out from under him, while shoving at his back. It was a painful experience for her, and she was sure that Kaiba wouldn't enjoy it either. And he would kill her when he woke up.

And right on cue too.

A hand flew up and knocked her right in the nose. She yelped and recoiled; her hands flying to her nose to protect it.

"You idiot!" she yelled at him, as she saw him sit on his elbows and turn around to look at his intruder on sleep.

"What the heck are you dong, Gardner!" Seto retorted. Tea pulled her legs out from under him.

"_Trying_ to do that! You were lying on my feet! And I was also _trying_ to wake you up to see if you were still alive, gosh darn it!" she rubbed her nose tenderly, "and _then_ you go and hit _me_!"

"Well, excuse me! What would you do if someone was bothering the heck out of you while you were asleep?" Seto threw at her.

"I would have…told them to go away!" she replied lamely.

"Eh…what's all the fuss, boys and girls?" Ryou rubbed his eyes, sitting up.

"Ryou! You're awake!" Tea cooed.

"How couldn't I be? With all this racket…" Ryou laughed. Seto just scowled. Ryou turned to Mokuba and shook his shoulders, "Wake up, Mokuba. Come on around."

Mokuba groaned and squeezed his eyes tighter. Then, he opened them. "Seto? You're here! You're…alive!" he jumped over into his brother's arms.

"I'm fine…what about you?"

"Just peachy!" the kid smiled back at his brother. Seto sighed. _He's been hanging around Bakura far too long. 'Just peachy!'_

"What about Yugi?" Ryou looked over at the boy.

"He's alive, just not awake yet," Tea replied.

"Wouldn't…be…so sure…'bout that…" a small voice mumbled.

"Yugi!" Mokuba cried. Yugi sat up and shook his head.

"Geez…what a nightmare," he replied. "Did we really…fall down the stairs?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Seto rebuked, looking away, partially humiliated.

"That's my question, Kaiba," Tea cocked her head, "How did _you,_ of all people, fall?"

Seto narrowed his eyes, "I would prefer not to answer that, Gardner."

"Seto?" Mokuba looked up at him, "What was it that scared you, though?" The entire chamber froze.

_Seto Kaiba…scared!_

"I wasn't…scared, Mokuba. I was…taken by surprise by something," Seto explained. "I don't get _scared_."

"Well sure you do," Yugi accidentally put forth. Seto turned a full force glare on him. Yugi winced, and then continued, "What I mean is…you're always scared for Mokuba's safety, aren't you? I mean…the virtual world was one experience-"

"I'm concerned, not scared for him! There's a large difference," he retorted.

"Fine, Kaiba," Ryou nodded, "Whatever took you by surprise, then?"

"Nothing," he answered too quickly. "I just…lost my footing."

"Yeah: right!" Tea scoffed, "Since when do you lose your footing?"

"Since I was on a collapsing staircase. It's not very difficult, Gardner. Look at what happened to you."

"Fine, fine, fine," Yugi held up his hands, "Let's just forget about it. What we need to do now is figure out how to get out of here."

The group looked around. They were in a large indentation in a hallway. It was a stone hallway, reflecting the blue light of the burning flames. Everything looked so cold and damp…as if the place hadn't been touched in years."

"So…where are we?" Mokuba asked, "Where did Gozaburo build all of this?"

"Would we be here if we knew?" Seto replied testily. Mokuba looked down crestfallen by his brother's attitude. "Sorry kid," he replied.

"I just want to know how far we fell," Yugi looked up. He narrowed his eyes however. "Is it just my impression…or should there be a large, gaping hole in the wall?"

"It would be logical, yes," Ryou looked up too. "But…Lord have mercy, this isn't one!"

"Let's just say that from the evidence I have seen, this house isn't very logical," Tea crossed her arms, "Windows that won't break; doors that are confused on how to lock themselves; possessing spirits that go after dice-gamers," Tea sighed, "I'm starting to get really freaked out by this."

"Maybe somebody moved us," Mokuba stated.

"Mokuba, how can that be? We're the only ones who have been here in ages!" Seto responded. "Then again…."

They all looked at one another. Was it possible? It seemed to be the only explanation….

The only question was: who had moved them?

A high laughed resounded down the corridor.

* * *

"Holy shitake mushrooms!" Joey jumped up frantically and landed in Tristan's arms. This didn't help however, as Tristan's knees were shaking, and he buckled, falling over onto Duke and Serenity. The only one left standing was a shaking Mai.

"Who the crap was that!" she shrieked.

"I dunno!" Joey groaned, in the middle of the pile. "Eh, Dice-boy? You remember any freak people in dis mansion here?"

"No…I don't _think_ so," Duke answered, "However, my memories are starting to fade."

"That's not good," Tristan put forth, "you're our only hope to get to that garage!"

"Sorry for not being possessed longer," Duke retorted sarcastically.

"Okay…which way did dat voice come from? Cause dat's da way we ain't goin'!" Joey explained.

"It came from everywhere," Serenity whispered, "I don't think we'll be safe anywhere-"

"Go down the middle!" Mai suddenly exclaimed.

"Huh? Why?" Tristan asked.

"I've seen many horror movies in my life…. About eight of them or so. Every time they come across these predicaments, there is some odd number of doors. No one _ever_ chooses the middle one…and they always end up getting the bad end of things in the others. So, we'll go down the middle this time and be safe!"

"Okay…nice logic, I guess," Duke replied.

"But wha' if dey know we're gonna choose da middle one, and made dat one da trap, unless dey though we were gonna choose a different one, and then didn't, an'- oh forget it! I give up!" Joey scratched his head frantically. "Let's just go down da middle."

"Yes…let's just pick a way and go. If we come to a wrong end, we'll come back and choose another door," Serenity stated.

"Yes!" Tristan slammed his fist into his own, "I vote with what Serenity says!" And so they went. Down the middle corridor they traveled. It looked stony and damp, and blue fire glazed against the walls.

"I feel like I'm in some medieval dungeon or something," Duke peered around.

"Or something out of Edgar Allen Poe's stories," Serenity answered.

"Who's dat?" Joey asked.

"Never mind," Mai answered for him. They walked on some more in silence for a time.

"I really don't think this is the right way," Tristan looked around, "Even though we haven't gone downhill, I feel as if we are under the earth or something."

"Yes…" Joey nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I can't stand this anymore!" Mai stopped and pounded the wall on her left, "This place should go to heck and die!" she cried. Her hand suddenly sunk in a little bit. She lifted her head up in amazement and found that she had pushed a stone in.

A grading sound filled the air around them and Mai stepped back as a section of the stone wall rolled back before them.

"OH MY GOD!" Serenity shrieked and covered her mouth as a large looming shadow leapt out from the secret entrance's depths.

* * *

Tea felt a sudden chill pass through her as the group walked along. She shivered violently and looked to the side, rubbing her arms frantically. She noticed that Yugi had too just gotten a violent case of the shivers.

"Is it just me, or is something chilling going on here?" Tea breathed out.

"Did you happen to feel a chill across your body?" Ryou asked.

"Yes!" Tea exclaimed, "Then it's not just me and Yugi!"

"Oh, it is," Ryou explained, "I just saw you two shiver. Unless the Kaibas can relate experiences."

"Nothing," Seto answered simply.

"Ah, ah," Mokuba shook his head. Tea looked over at Yugi and shrugged.

"Is there any way out of here?" Ryou looked around the stone walls, running his hand over them at times. He asked this more to himself than anyone else, but he still got an answer.

"Would we be looking for an exit if we knew that?" Seto retorted.

"Sorry," Ryou snapped back, so unlike him. Yugi's eyes widened. He wasn't sure if Bakura had taken over at the moment, or if this entrapment was starting to affect their minds.

"Why did we have to fall through the stairs?" Tea sighed, thinking exactly as Yugi had.

"You do know that this is all Devlin's fault, don't you," Seto told them over his shoulder.

"What?" Tea looked up incredulously.

"Yes. He led us into this place-"

"But you said you and Mokuba were going in anyway!" Tea retaliated.

"Yes, but things might have happened differently," Seto answered sourly.

"Well, if you really want to get technical, it really is Joey's fault we're here," Ryou put a finger to his cheek, "He's the one who stopped us all and took us to the gates, mind you."

"It's always his fault," Seto sneered.

"Don't say that!" Tea cried back.

"Guys!" Yugi yelled, in a desperate attempt to hush them up.

"Yugi, just let them battle it out-" Ryou started.

"No!" Yugi stopped. "Not that! Someone. Is. Following. Us."

"What!" Mokuba squealed spinning around to face Yugi and grabbing onto his brother's trench coat.

The group stopped and listened for a moment.

Nothing.

"You're going insane, Yugi, which is a mighty sorrow. You were the most decent in your pathetic group," Seto stated. "No one is here. No one is following us-" he stopped when a tap reached his ear.

More taps.

No, not taps…

_Footsteps._

"Big brother? Who's here?" Mokuba inquired.

"It's probably just…Joey or one of them. Maybe they've found us…" Yugi stated optimistically, though one could plainly see that he was only trying to reassure _himself_.

"Good Lord…I'm reliving the experience…" Tea heaved.

"What experience?" Ryou whispered. The footsteps neared them.

"Shouldn't we be walking the other way?" Mokuba asked his brother.

"We don't know which way they're coming from," Seto held onto his brother's arm.

"Tea? Which experience?" Ryou repeated.

"The guy at the top of the stairs! The one with the knife! Oh, I bet this is him! He's coming back!" she shivered so violently that he knees knocked together constantly.

"Pull yourself together, Gardner!" Seto snapped. But in his mind, he was starting to wonder if she was right.

After all, he had seen the image as well. And what Seto Kaiba saw, he always believed to be real.

"It can't be him, Tea," Yugi put a hand on her arm to calm her. In response, however, she just jumped and sighed when she saw it was Yugi.

"Yugi…you didn't see him-"

"That's right: I didn't. He's not there Tea. No offense…but you can have an overactive imagination at times. I've noticed it before…" Yugi returned.

"No! He was real! He was as real as that blasted knife!" Tea closed her eyes.

The footsteps stopped.

"Seto…where is this person?" Mokuba asked.

"I…don't know," Seto looked around frantically, trying to see down both passages.

The flames suddenly extinguished. The hall was plunged into thick darkness.

The five of them froze.

"Holy Lord Almighty," they all could here Ryou whisper. "Where's that blasted Bakura when I need him!"

"Tea? Tea, where are you?" Yugi looked around, trying to adjust his eyes.

"Yugi…I'm right here, next to you."

"What?" Yugi spun around and felt the air. "Where? I can't feel you-"

"Yugi, you're holding onto my arm!" she replied. "In fact…why are you holding on so-"

"I'm not touching you Tea, I swear," Yugi halted.

Tea froze.

"Ryou? Is that…you…holding onto me?"

"I'm afraid not Tea," there was a strong sense of worry in his voice.

Tea mind was starting to blank out as she starting thinking up worst case scenarios. "Mokuba?" she squeaked. "_Please_ tell me it's you right here…."

"I'll tell you Tea," he whispered, shivering, -

"But it won't be the truth."

She was going to faint. This couldn't be Kaiba. It was not. There was no way. But…it had to be….

But why would Seto Kaiba start running his hand down her cheek!

"K-K-Kaiba?" she stuttered.

"Yes?" two voices replied at once.

"Mokuba…she was speaking to me," Seto announced.

Mokuba didn't answer.

"Mokuba!" Seto felt around.

Mokuba was gone.

…

…

…

"Mokuba, where are you!" Seto called. There was no answer. "Mokuba!"

"Guys, seriously," Tea started, "Who is _touching_ me!"

"**Gosh darn it, nobody is laying a flippen finger on you, Gardner**!" Seto yelled.

"Then who-"

A body suddenly flashed before her eyes. Her eyes widened enormously as she recognized the same figure from the top of the stairs.

His hand was on her arm.

His hand was on her face.

_I'm…going…to…faint_,Tea thought out.

However, it was Yugi who fell to the ground first from pure shock that, one, not only was there someone here, who just appeared out of nowhere, but he was handling Tea like some sweetheart-girlfriend of his!

Kaiba stared that the intruder, his eyes also widening. It was him…. Not again…,

The figure suddenly turned his head and stared straight at Seto.

"_I see you Seto…."

* * *

_

Hey? How'd you like that? I wasn't having too much luck with the beginning, but boy did I have fun at the end, freaking myself out at nine at night…before I had to go in the basement…to do a project…_gulp_. Well…uh…PLEASE REVIEW! Hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Seperation

NOTE: This is starting to look like a kind of short story: ten chapters – fifteen at most, probably. Maybe I just need more inspiration….

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 5: Separation**

Yugi woke up blearily. What had happened to him? He tried to vaguely recollect his thoughts. He and the others had been walking…down a creepy passageway…Tea started complaining about something when the torches suddenly extinguished…and….

That was all. Yugi was sure he had pettily fainted after the shock. But what had been the shock?

_The ghost._ That was it. It had to be. Now, he was going to get the details filled in. Yugi opened his eyes and looked around. That was strange…. The last he knew, he had been underground. Now, he was in a regular hallway on what seemed to be a floor of the mansion itself.

He looked around. Ryou laid a ways away. But where was everyone else? The boy stood up and ran over to Ryou, shaking him awake. It was beginning to be a repetitive pattern…they would blank out; wake up and not know where the heck they were.

"What is it, good chap?" Ryou sat up.

"We're lost…again," Yugi sighed. "No one else is here with us."

"Oh dear," Ryou stood, "And the lights are back on. …That is to say…the lights _were_ off before, weren't they? And then-"

"That _ghost_ appeared."

"Ah, so it was a ghost," Ryou nodded. "I had wondered-" he stopped.

"Ryou?" Yugi began panicking. _Not another possession…not another possession, please!_

Instead, Ryou just narrowed his eyes a bit and smiled slyly, "Come on, Yugi. Let's get out of here."

Yug peered at him closely, "You're…not Ryou."

"Maybe," he smirked.

"Now: you've either been possessed…or it's Bakura. I _would_ say Bakura, given normal circumstances, but…under these _weird_ circumstances, I'm not so sure."

"**Well I am**," Yugi suddenly said again. Although, this time, he was just a bit taller, with a few more changes visible.

"Ah, Pharaoh, so good of you to join us," Bakura sneered.

"I'm only here to make sure you don't harm Yugi or Ryou. But I want you to agree to a truce. I know you do love these sort of…places," Yami looked around uncertainly, "But the boys and others aren't too comfortable here. I propose we get them out of here as fast as possible. Deal?" Yami stuck out his hand.

Bakura just laughed, "You expect me to make a deal lickity-split? I don't think so!" Bakura continued to laugh.

Yami's brow furrowed. "Then what do you propose we do?"

"I couldn't care less what we do. Actually, I want to explore this place. There is a certain presence here that I want to understand."

"If it's that ghost-"

"Him, yes…but there is a stronger presence here… I want to figure out who or what is making all of these wonderful things happen. Indeed, this place does seem cursed. But it can only be ghosts," he chuckled.

Yami seemed to think for a minute, "Well then…why don't we _explore_ while we look for a way out?"

Bakura inspected him closely, and then smiled ever so slightly, "Now you're speaking my language."

* * *

"JOEY! JOEY, JOEY, JOEY! WAKE UP! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Mai shook Joey hard.

"Ah…dad, five more minutes," he waved her off. Mai sighed. That was all she needed to here. Joey was alive.

"Geez, Mai, what were you yelling about?" Tristan sat up, rubbing his head.

"Just checking vitals," Mai replied. Tristan rolled his eyes. He looked ahead of them. They were still in that same corridor and a door had opened in the hall. He looked around.

"Hey! Where's Serenity!"

"And Duke?" Mai added.

"WHAT!" Joey suddenly popped up, "_Where's Serenity!"_

"Dude, that's what we just asked," Tristan retorted.

"Maybe they went down that hall," Mai pointed to the newly opened doorway.

"Well, let's get goin'!" Joey cried, rushing forward into it.

"Joey! I said _MAYBE!_" Mai shouted.

"It's no use Mai. We had better just follow him before he gets lost," Tristan stood and began running, "Dude, wait up!"

"Don't leave me here!" Mai yelped, running after the two boys.

"Ren? Ren! Ren! Where are ya?" Joey called down the hallway. He could vaguely hear Tristan and Mai's voices from behind. But still he ran. He couldn't wait for those two: they would catch up sooner or later. Right now, he just had to find his sister! Who knew what horrors could have befallen her in this wacky house?

Joey suddenly stopped as he saw a shadow whiz past him (the torches were the only things to light the hallway). His eye twitched. "T-Tristan? Come on bud, this ain't funny…."

A shadow suddenly sprung from the ground in a solid mass and bared it's fangs at Joey.

"Y-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Joey shrieked throwing his hands up in alarm and running back the way he had just come. He was about to pass Tristan and Mai, when, "**YOU'RE GOIN' DA WRONG WAY!**" he shouted.

"What?" Mai and Tristan looked at his retreating form. They looked the way he had come. Both of their faces paled. A long, black mass was hurtling through the air right towards them.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mai shrieked and Tristan yelled. They took off in the way Joey had come. And soon, they even overtook and passed him.

"Hey guys! WAIT UP!" he yelled, trying to run faster. The end of the hall was approaching.

"Left or right!" Mai cried.

"Left!" Tristan commanded. It was the original way they had been going.

They two skidded into the hallway –Mai tripping in her boots, and smashing into the wall- and they turn to face the left.

Tristan gasped as he saw another dark shadow with fangs. "Right, right, RIGHT!" he barely yelled, turning around.

"T-Tristan, wait!" Mai gasped, still in pain from her sudden collision into the wall. She turned to face the new threat. Her eyes only widened. She couldn't scream. There was no energy left within her.

Mai felt herself blacking out. She began falling backwards. The last she felt was that of someone catching her, and lifting her up into the air.

* * *

"Mokuba? **Mokuba? **MOKUBA!" Seto called out in every direction of the cramped, yet grandly decorated hall.

"Must you shout so loudly?" Tea whimpered, trudging behind him, holding her arms, "You'll attract…_things_."

"Oh, what? Ghosts? Is that what you're trying to say?" Seto retorted. "There are no such things as ghosts," he lay down, and continued to call out, "**MOKUBA?**"

Tea sighed. Of all the people to be stuck with: it had to be _him_. He _knew_ there was a ghost too. He just had to! Who could deny the presence that had been with them early? Who could deny that voice? Heck, it had been speaking _directly_ to Seto!

It wasn't that she didn't want to find Mokuba: no, of course not! She just wanted to do so _quietly_. If he would just **shut up**!

What time was it? She looked at her watch. It was almost ten o' clock. They had been here for hours already! How were they going to get out?

"Kaiba, it's ten o' clock already. We should really find some escape or-"

He rounded on her, "**I'm not leaving without Mokuba**!"

Tea set her face, "_Or_ find a place to rest or sleep at least! Maybe Mokuba will find us. Who knows? Maybe he's with the others! Or maybe we're all just paranoid! Yes, that's probably it," she babbled, beginning to walk around in circles, throwing her arms out at different highlights in her philosophies. Seto just stared. Tea was really losing it in here. Perhaps they should rest before she did something _really_ drastic.

"I'm losing my mind! That must be it! Dad always did say I would go nuts someday! It's in my blood!" Tea grabbed her hair and started tugging on it, still walking around in circles, muttering.

"Gardner, quit acting like a moron!" he grabbed her shoulders and made her face him. His stare bore down into her skull. She looked him over quizzically.

She started nodding her head slightly, "Know what?" He didn't answer. He only gave a slightly confused gaze. "You're really handsome," she said in a nonchalant way.

Seto's eyes widened. Okay, now he _knew_ Tea was losing it. She had just complimented him! Highly too….

Realization suddenly hit Tea, "And _this_ action proves my point! I'm going to go insane in here! Get me out!" she pulled herself out of Seto's grasp and continued to walk down the hall, "Help me, Lord! Help me!"

"Maybe we _should_ get some rest," Seto suddenly stated. Normally, he really wouldn't care that Tea wanted to rest. However, given the circumstances and the fact that he was not really comfortable around this crazed Tea –who seemed to have gotten a totally different attitude about him (not all that bad either)- he hoped that a good rest for her would bring her back to normal. Heck, what had happened to the calm Tea Gardner?

"_Now_ you're speaking on my terms!" Tea held up a finger. "And lookie here! It's a living room! What'd ya know? Perfect place to get some rest!" she skipped into the room. Seto sighed. He hoped he didn't have to live with this girl for too much longer. Still, he followed her into the living room. It had a strange resemblance to one of the living room sin his own mansion.

Of course, that did make sense. Gozaburo had dumped this place and built up another one. He wouldn't be surprised if-

Seto stopped. What it the two mansions were _exactly_ alike? Then he _would_ know a way out of here! Except for the creepy caverns where he had been before, Seto had always had a vague sense of familiarity about the place. Mmm…. He would explore tomorrow – hopefully with a head-on-her-shoulders Tea.

Tea sat on a –surprisingly not dusty- couch. Of course, being in her state at the moment, she did not take much notice to it.

Seto, however, did. Tea lay back against the sofa, closing her eyes. Seto sat door a small ways away from her, and examined the couch. How was there no dust on it? Surely after years of filth and grime and wreckage, this couch had to have at least _some_ dust on it!

But no….

"Gardner?"

"Mmm…what?" she groaned, lolling her head to face his.

"Does it not strike you weird that there is no dust on this couch?"

Tea looked down at the sofa, "Hmm. Indeed it doesn't. How noticeable…." Nothing was really getting through to her mind.

A sharp crack of thunder suddenly resounded outside and echoed into the mansion. Tea jumped sky-high and clung to the first thing she could grab hold of.

This being Seto's arm. Seto was sure she was cutting off his circulation: she had a tight grip when she wanted one.

"Gardner, it's just thunder! Get over yourself!" he pushed her off his arm.

"Well, _sor_-**_ry_** Kaiba, but it just caught me by surprise, okay?" she mouthed back at him.

Seto blinked. Was she back to normal already? All it took was a simple shock to her system? Well, in this place, he could surely do that at any given point, should she fall into that insane state once more. Otherwise, bring on the thunderstorms!

"We'll look for Mokuba in the morning, okay?" she yawned and rested her head against the arm of the couch. Seto snorted. She hadn't even answered his question. Oh well. Perhaps a good night's sleep would give him the answer.

* * *

Mokuba felt nothing. It was as if all sense had been drained from his body. He hung limply against a wall –was it a wall? It looked just like the rest of this ghastly place to him- and sighed. His eyes had lost their normal sheen. What had happened to him? Where was his big brother? Where were the others? Why was he thinking so slowly?

Had he been drugged? But _who_ would drug him? There was no one here! Unless…Tea's ghost.

"Ah, Mokuba, you're finally awake."

Mokuba's head jerked up at the sudden voice. It was an unfamiliar voice at that, and the body that belonged to it was also strange to him…yet also quite familiar. It reminded him of someone else…but whom?

"Do you know where you are, Mokuba?" the new boy said, looking down at him. Mokuba tried to think.

"Well…last time I knew, I was in some passageway underneath my stepfather's old mansion." The other boy merely smirked.

"And you still are! Look down, if you will." Mokuba couldn't help but to look down. When you're hanging limply, that's the only way to look!

Mokuba noticed a living room –strangely similar to his own back home- and two people there. Tea and Seto! Tea was resting against one end of the couch in there, and Seto was lying back against the opposite side. Obviously, they didn't want to be too near each other.

"But…how am I up _here?_ …And Seto's down _there_," Mokuba blearily thought out.

The boy laughed in a high-pitched voice, "That's my little secret, Mokie." Mokuba jumped. _No one _had called him that for years! Only Seto knew that that was his nickname! Where did this stranger get this information? "Well, so you did recognize that long lost name. Good. Now…would you like to return to your family?"

Mokuba was thoroughly confused. "Return? But…I thought…." Surely he had been brought here for another purpose, rather than just sitting here, looking _down_ onto Seto. He was still puzzled about the looking _down_ part as well. Unless…Tea's ghost. It was all making sense now!

Mokuba's head shot up with new determination, "You're a ghost, aren't you?"

The boy laughed again, his lip curling into a smirk, "Very good, Mokuba. Very good."

* * *

Serenity clung to Duke's arm in sheer terror. This house was truly freaking her out. How had she and Duke been separated from the others? It made no sense! Duke and she were just wandering around, either looking for the others, or looking for an exit. Either one would work.

"Duke…you don't happen to remember anymore from that…possession or yours, do you?"

"Ack…I don't know," Duke muttered, "Although," he stopped, "this section right here looks kind of familiar."

"Good!" Serenity sighed, "Now, where are we going?"

"Well…I think the garage is…that way," Duke closed his eyes for a moment, opened them and then pointed down a corridor to the right.

"Great! Let's go! We _have_ to get out of here! What will our parents say when we don't show up tonight? Are we going to get out o here alive? What if that ghost…with the _dagger_ is lurking around here _right now!_" Serenity whimpered.

"Calm down, Ren," Duke soothed, "Everything will be okay. As long as I'm here with you, nothing and no one will harm you," he patted the hand on his arm.

On the opposite side of the room, watching them walk off, a boy smirked in a most maniacal way. He looked down at the dagger in his hand. It had been a gift at one time. It was a collector's dagger, but still a grand knife. "Yes…I'll be sure to remember those words, Duke. _'As long as I'm here…no one will harm you._'" The boy ran his finger over the edge of the knife.

* * *

Dun, dun, dun…. Oohh…what's this ghost boy up to? Are the others going to meet up anytime soon? Will something _happen?_ PLEASE REVIEW! Until next time!

(PS: A review sort of brought this to my attention. I've always considered my two genres for this story equal. But, in the context of any other onlooker, one would be primary, and one would be secondary. Which should be the primary? Horror, or Suspense? I don't care, just please tell me one or the other, thanks!)


	6. Dream On

NOTE: Hey! Thanks for the feedback! I suppose another category for the story should be Supernatural…but oh well. On with the story! It gets more "gruesome" from here on out!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 6: Dream On**

Duke fidgeted in his sleep. He and Serenity had settled down in a sitting room somewhere in the house. The couches had been all so dusty, so they had opted to sleep on the floor, near the wall, just incase anything else was lurking around.

Nightmares poured out from the walls of Duke's mind.

_Duke was looking from an omniscient point of view down onto a green field. And HE was standing there too! Something rang in his head about how this could be happening. Yugi had told them something about seeing himself from a distance with the power of the Millennium Necklace. Could this vision be like that?_

_The non-omniscient Duke was looking around, calling out random things. Suddenly, a crack of thunder roared, and a great bolt of lightning struck down from the sky and plummeted towards Duke's body._

_With a terrible cry, the Duke figure yelled and slowly, starting at the end of his body, he began turning to stone._

_After the shock of lightning dissipated, Duke saw that his body –the one far off- was completely petrified. And then, small cracks began running through the statue's body. A great opening cracked in the statue's back, and a red substance spilled forth._

_Without having to examine it, Duke knew what it was:_

_Blood._

_More blood began to pour forth from other cracks in the stone and trickle down its length._

_And suddenly, the vision whirled away._

Duke sat up so suddenly, letting out a yell, sweating and breathing hard. What the heck had the meant? He felt strangely weak…as if something had been sucked right out of him….

Serenity screamed, hearing the cry and jumped up, pounding the wall next to her with her hand, and resting against it in fright.

"Duke? What's wrong!"

"Nothing, sorry," he replied, "Just…a rather frightening dream."

"Oh," Serenity relaxed. Then, she began feeling the wall, "What the…" She felt a little more, and suddenly jumped away, "EWW! There's something slimy on there! Duke! Help!"

Duke jumped to her aid, "Sorry, but I can't see what it is without light-"

The chandelier above them flickered on dimly. It was just enough o see what was on Serenity's hand and in her fingers.

"BLOOD!" Serenity suddenly screeched, screaming. "OH MY GOD!"

Duke felt the blood from Serenity's fingers. It was still rather warm.

He checked himself for wounds, and then scanned Serenity. Nothing. Then how…_who's_ blood was this?

"Duke," Serenity quieted, looking up, "Look." Duke turned to face where she was looking.

"Oh my Lord…" he whispered, looking at the wall.

It was coated in that blood. But not coated blankly. No. There was a message written upon it.

"I don't want to look!" Serenity looked away, "What does it read, Duke?"

"Why should I want to look?" he inquired, "Whatever. Here-"

"No, no, I'll read it. I should get accustomed…" she said fickly. She read it over once, before saying, "That doesn't make any sense? Who would waste…blood…writing that?

_The Earl dies in the evening; the Duke dies at dawn._

"What is that supposed to mean?" Serenity asked.

Duke's face had paled considerably. If he didn't know any better, he knew _exactly_ what that meant…and whose blood it was written in.

Somehow, someway, someone had gotten a hold of _his_ blood, and written a message with it, pertaining to him.

It was written figuratively. The only problem with the literacy was that earl and duke were capitalized. Normally, they aren't done so.

But _his_ name was _Duke_…_capitalized_. What if the message was an omen to _him?_

What if the first part of the sentence had no meaning to it: but the second forewarned him.

What if someone wanted to kill him?

_At_ _dawn_?

* * *

_Joey ran as fast as he could._

_But what was he running from? All he knew was that he was terrified, and for good reason. Someone or something was after him…._

_"Run, Joseph, run," a high voice called out, laughing. Joey ran. He was growing tired, but that didn't stop him._

_"Run-" the voice stated again. This time, though, it changed into a most familiar one._

_Serenity's._

_"Joey, run," she continued from the other voice, "You're more fun to hunt down when you run."_

_"Hunt down!" Joey shouted. He was only met with a maniacal laugh from Serenity._

_That wasn't like his sister at all._

_"Ren! Snap out of it! You don't want to hunt me down!" Joey turned a corner and stopped, terrified._

_Serenity Wheeler was standing three years away from him-_

_-Holding a gun up in her right hand._

_"Hi big brother," her voice radiated venom, "Are you ready to die now?"_

_Joey's eyes widened and quaked. "Serenity! What's happened to you!"_

_"Nothing, Joey," she lowered the gun, "Nothing at all…." Her voice suddenly got edge of that voice that had spoken before her. "Now Joey: prepare to face your afterlife."_

_Joey then noticed someone partially materialize next to her._

_"You! Get away form my sister!"_

_The new figure spoke, "Not a chance Joseph," that voice came back. "Now, Serenity: hit the target."_

_Joey turned around to run but found his way blocked by a new wall. He spun back around, "Serenity, NO!"_

_A gunshot._

_Everything immediately went black._

"**SERENITY!**" Joey sat up, shouting into the hall. Tristan yelped and jumped up from his sleep.

"Joey, dude, what were you thinking! You made me think we were getting attacked again! It's bad enough we're stuck here-"

"Sorry, Tristan…just…had a bad dream…somethin' happened ta Ren."

Tristan sat up straighter now, "What?"

"I dunno…. Maybe someone had taken ov'a her mind or somthin'…but she wanted ta…" he gulped, "_Kill_ me."

Tristan's eyes went wide, "Whoa. That's deep. But it's just a dream, Joe, nothing to worry about."

"Yeah…yeah, I suppose you're right," Joey stated. What he failed to mention was the great pain he had in his chest right now…. "Anyway…how's Mai?"

"Still hasn't waken up yet by the looks of it," Tristan replied, looking at Mai's unconscious form.

"Yeah, she pretty much fainted when I grabbed her from that shadow thing…" Joey commented.

"I'm just surprised she's stayed out cold for this long. You don't think…."

"Nah," Joey shook his head quickly, "Nothing like _dat_ could have happened. She's just taking a little longer to get back to consciousness. Besides, we've checked life signs constantly, right?"

"Yeah, you're right," Tristan looked away, "I just can't believe we're still stuck here. How long will it be until we can find a way out of this creepy house?"

"Dunno," Joey replied, "If only we had Duke back. At least he had an inkling of where we were going. Now, we just have to walk around and hope we find a door or garage or somthin'."

"Yeah…. Well, we had best get moving. I don't think we're going back to sleep for a while."

"True," Joey stood up. "I'll grab Mai." He walked over to her, checked up on her and then but her form on his back. "Which way?"

"Well, let's go the way we were going last night, after running," Tristan pointed behind him.

"Alright." And they set off once more.

* * *

"So, Mokuba," the ghost boy paced the air above the living room where Seto and Tea were resting, "I ask again: do you want to return to your family?"

Mokuba scrutinized the boy as best as he could. He could barely make out anything about the ghost. He just looked so familiar….

It didn't help that he felt like half of himself was missing….

Still skeptical about accepting the offer, Mokuba slowly answered, "Yes…."

"I figured as much," the ghost replied, putting his hands together. "We'll go down together then, shall we?"

"What?" Mokuba managed to get out, before the ghost grabbed his arm and descended with him to the floor.

On the way down, Mokuba felt as though he were sliding through some sheet of liquid ice…. He looked back up and saw that where he and the ghost had been standing before now just looked like the ceiling to the room. What had happened to the dark abyss they had just been in?

His feet hit the floor, as did the other boy's. Mokuba immediately ran to Seto and started shaking him, "Seto! Seto! I'm back! Seto, there's a ghost-"

"He can't hear you, Mokuba," the ghost commented, walking over to Tea, "He can't feel, hear nor see you." Mokuba gazed back at him horrified. The ghost just sat on the arm of the couch next to Tea's sleeping form. "Let me demonstrate, Mokie…. No matter what it is that I do to her-" he twiddled with a strand of her hair, and then quickly bent down and kissed her on the lips, "She doesn't awaken."

Mokuba dropped his hands, aghast.

What was _wrong_ with this ghost? Feeling something for _living_ females?

The boy didn't seem to notice Mokuba's reaction, "She's gorgeous, isn't she? I could tell she was special the moment she stood outside the gates. If only we were two dimensions apart…" he sighed, looking rather longingly at her, before standing up.

"What? "Love at first sight," is that it? Sorry, but that's kind of stupid," Mokuba replied. He was still a little young for that sort of thing, but that didn't mean he didn't harbor certain feelings for anyone else…say some certain girl in this very household. He reddened slightly at the thought.

"No…I know her better than that…" the ghost smirked, "I've been inside her mind…. It's a beautiful place there…. I probably know more about her than she knows herself."

"That's too freaky," Mokuba muttered.

"Is it?" the ghost looked up at him. "Tell me, Mokie…what is _freaky_ exactly?" he grabbed the boy's shoulders gently and led him over to a mirror on the other side of the room.

Mokuba wasn't paying attention to what was happening. He was staring up at the ghost boy; his mouth agape, "_Who are you?_"

The boy smiled, "All in due time, little…oh, never mind. Now answer the question, Mokuba. _What_ is _freaky_, exactly? Is…_this_, freaky?"

Mokuba turned to look where the ghost was looking. He looked into the mirror, and almost yelled out in shock.

He, Mokuba Kaiba, was as pale as a ghost….

* * *

_Seto stood in a blank area. There was nothing there: no one. _

_All of the sudden, Mokuba came running behind him, "Seto! I'm back!"_

_"Mokuba?" he turned around, "Mokuba!"_

_"Seto!" Mokuba ran into his brother's arms. "I'm so glad to see you!"_

_"Me too, kiddo," he hugged his brother tightly. Never again would he lose sight of his brother…._

_Seto felt a tugging on the back of his shirt, "What about me?" a voice said. Seto stood up and turned around. To his great surprise, there was another Mokuba standing there._

_"Mokuba?" Seto looked back and forth between the two of them, "What the?"_

_"Seto, don't you know about our other brother?" the original Mokuba put an arm around his twin counterpart._

_"What other brother?" Seto screwed up his eyes. This made no sense…. Mokuba wasn't a twin…._

_"Well, I'm not REALLY your brother…" the other Mokuba spoke. Seto gave a start. That wasn't Mokuba's voice…._

_The new Mokuba began to laugh, and change into someone else._

_Seto's eyes widened. He had seen that figure before…._

_"Remember me?" the morphed Mokuba held up a dagger, chuckling, "I still can see you, Seto…."_

Seto jumped in his sleep and looked around frantically. Where was he? Oh, right...the other mansion….

He looked to his right and saw Tea still sleeping. She seemed to be in such a peaceful sleep….

He envied her. She didn't have to live with the constant worries of keeping watch over a younger sibling. She could just go on sleeping without another care in the world….

But _he_ had to find his brother.

Fast.

Before anything major…or worse, _fatal_, happened to him.

Seto sighed. Goodness…he was dying for something to drink, at least. But even if he had found a bathroom, the taps would all be out of water, as no water had been directed here for years. And food was definitely out of the question.

Tea shifted and turned in her sleep. Now, this was a small couch. In shifting, her head came to rest on Seto's straight shoulder. She didn't seem to take much notice of the new "pillow".

Typical. Now he was being deprived of food, drink _and_ comfort. Instead, he was being used _for_ comfort. Why him? Why?

Nevertheless, it did feel sort of…nice…sort of…. Oh, the heck with it: it _did_ feel comforting.

At least of all the people in the whole group to get stuck with…he got stuck with the most agreeable of them.

Was that _really_ his opinion about her? The most agreeable? Yugi was a person he could tolerate. Then again…thoughts of revenge and duels usually filled his head, when Seto was around him. The others were just plain losers: there was nothing more to say about them. So, yes, although Tea had a mouth at times (one very similar to his a lot), she was the most "agreeable."

But Seto didn't have to wait long. It seemed that Tea had gone into an uneasy sleep, for she soon moved off Seto and back onto the couch.

Seto stood up quickly, should her motions prove fickle once more. Not that he didn't miss the pressure on his shoulder…which felt rather cold at the moment.

He decided to scope out a bathroom just for the heck of it. Perhaps, by some odd and slim ration, there was a hint of water still here…as nasty as it might be.

He set off down the corridor, hoping against hope that he wouldn't be lead astray or wind up anywhere wacky again.

A noise caught suddenly in his ear. A small trickling….

_Water_.

Seto started running out of desperation to find the source of the vital liquid. Where, though?

If he had been right about this mansion being similar to his home, then there should be a bathroom right around the corner….

He spun around the corner and saw a door ajar. He stopped and slowly walked towards it. He peered around the door just in case….

Nothing. Nothing except the sink leaking water.

Seto crept into the room, watching everything in there, just to be sure. He walked up to the sink, and examined the dripping faucet. The faucet itself was rusted and dusty, but the water looked clear as ever. It looked pure…strange, as it seemed. Then again, this whole house was whacked out of proportion.

Seto decided to take the chance. The worst that could happened was lead poisoning or something. He could deal with that…at some point or another…. He turned the tap more, and more water gushed out. Finally!

The water felt good running down his dry throat. It was so cool and refreshing…. He sighed and looked up into a mirror right above the sink.

A face –not his own- looked back at him. It smirked.

Seto stumbled backwards. _Him! AGAIN!_

"Not only in my sleep do you haunt me, but here too?" Seto murmured, watching the image watch him.

Seto's heart was starting to pound harder. What was he so afraid of? It had to be…a hologram or something. Some old defense hologram that still worked somehow….

"You think technology is the source for everything, don't you, Seto?" the face asked.

Seto jumped. He was rooted though. He felt the need to run, but couldn't.

A grand yelp tore him from his shock.

Tea.

He dashed out of the bathroom and back down the unchanged road he had come. Seto skidded into the living room and stopped.

He couldn't believe it.

"Hi, Seto!" Mokuba suddenly turned around, from looking at Tea. He suddenly rant o his brother, "I'm okay!"

"Mokuba!" Seto choked out as he caught his brother in his arms. "Oh, thank God…."

Tea sighed on the couch, "Please, Mokuba…don't stand over me like that again…."

"Sorry, Tea," Mokuba said, still hugging Seto.

"Mokuba, where were you?" Seto placed Mokuba in front of him, "What happened?"

Mokuba's eyes flashed with terror, "Seto…I was so scared. Seto, there's a ghost here!"

"I knew it!" Tea jumped up, "Didn't I tell you-"

"Save it for the people who don't know," Seto silenced her with a wave of his hand.

"What?" Tea stopped, "What do you mean by that? …You knew then?"

"Of course I did," he replied, "What else would shock me enough to lose my balance on the staircase?"

"Oh…" Tea answered. It all made sense then…. "But then…why didn't you back me up when I told the others about the ghost?"

"I really didn't want to look like a mad lunatic. Would you?" Seto remarked. Tea huffed, offended.

"Fine then," she muttered, "Be a conceited snot-head…" she mumbled even softer.

Mokuba sniggered. Seto's head whipped around to his, "What did she say?"

"Nothing," he replied. "So as I was saying…there's a ghost here! And he took me to this dark place…and I don't remember much after that…."

"I'm just glad you're alright. Did anything happen to you?"

"No, I'm fine, Seto."

"How did you get back here?"

"…I escaped and…found my way."

"Really?"

"…Positive."

"Good," Seto nodded, standing up, "We should continue looking for an exit. I want out of this place."

"Yeah," Tea replied, "The faster we get out, the faster I get to eat something."

"You thirsty?" Seto threw in.

"Why?"

"There's running water –don't question how- not far from here."

Tea walked over to the two of them, "Well then, could you possibly lead Mokuba and I there?"

"Possibly. I don't know if I will though," Seto smirked.

Tea frowned slightly, "Your sense of humor is whack, Seto Kaiba," she sighed.

"Seto, I'm thirsty. Can you take us there?" Mokuba asked him.

"Sure," Seto replied.

"Oh yeah, tell _him_ yes and screw my needs," Tea muttered.

"What was that?" Seto asked with a hint of glee in his voice.

"Nothing," Tea retorted, "Just get on with the tour."

"There's that sarcasm again," Seto replied, leading Mokuba off.

"Don't forget about me!" Tea huffed, "Goodness! Why people regard you as polite is beyond me."

"Who regard me as _polite_?" Seto asked.

"Just the entire press! _Seto Kaiba: sophisticated this; polite that; blah, blah, blah!"_ Tea let out with great emotion, "_Everywhere_, there are comments from the stupid press."

"Your not the only one who thinks that way, you know," Seto answered with a slight scowl.

"Oh, I'm sure," Tea answered.

"Seto? Are we almost there?" Mokuba turned his head to look up at his brother.

"In a minute, yes," he replied, looking forward. Tea watched the two of them from behind; her focus on Mokuba's face.

Mokuba, after talking to his brother, regarded Tea and looked at her by turning his head slightly. He lowered his eyelids slightly –giving him an unnaturally mysterious and rather…dark look, and smiled slyly.

Tea jumped and stopped: horrorstruck. Her face paled immensely.

Were those…_fangs?

* * *

_

Behold! A suspenseful…or rather mysterious, ending! Yeah! I love pulling those on my readers, MUWHAHAHA! So, I have more…_mysteries_ surrounding Mokuba. And what of the others? This chapter has MUCH significance! This was no transition chapter mind you…. Well, maybe I used it for that in the first place, but it DOES hold strong significance! Anywho, PLEASE REVIEW! We get to the good stuff soon enough….

PS: In regard to Duke's dream with the statue and all that: have any of you read _The Tragedy of Julius Caesar_ by Shakespeare? (Don't: it's SOOO boring! Unless it's a school assignment…like mine is…) Well, that dream alludes to a dream that Calupurnia (Caesar's wife) had in that. Of course…that dream also alludes to something else…. Can you figure out what? Maybe I'll give you a virtual cookie if you can figure it out….


	7. Mysterious Happenings

NOTE: There are three notes here:

ONE: There are two reviewers out there whom I would like to give that virtual cookie to: Darkrose 17 and Zimyoucoto. Thank you.

TWO: You all are thinking too deeply about that blood on the wall that Duke read! Care not about the Earl! Just care about the DUKE! Thank you.

THREE: I'm so sorry! I totally forgot about Ryou and Yugi last chapter _hits self on head with a hammer _Stupid, stupid, stupid…. I remembered them earlier, but forgot them later. Thank you to…that reviewer (you know who you are) who pointed that out. Anywho, to compensate for that: they will stat off! Here we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 7: Mysterious Happenings**

"Yugi…this is by far the strangest thing I have ever read," Ryou looked up at the wall.

"Or seen," Yugi added.

"Indeed," Ryou nodded, "_You're closet friend –most trusted, yet most dishonest- will be the one to coyly lead you to your untimely demise…."_ I'm certain it's just full of oxymorons."

"Yeah. How can your closet friend be most trusted yet also dishonest? It doesn't make any sense! And they'll _coyly_ lead you to your demise? Argh! My brain hurts!" Yugi grabbed his head in confusion and started rubbing it.

"Yes," Ryou leaned back against the wall. He was breathing a little harder than usual. "And what's that it's written in?"

"It's still wet, that's for sure. It's dripping," Yugi looked at it. "Just…red ink?"

Ryou looked at it closely, and crawled over to the other wall. He but his finger to the substance and looked at it. "Well…its not colored water: it's thicker than that. Possibly just ink…." He put his finger gently to his tongue and tasted it.

Yugi winced, "Ryou: sometimes I wonder just how much Bakura is influencing you."

"Far too much," Ryou glared at the red liquid on his finger, "I actually know what this is by the taste. And now the smell is coming in. Yugi…this is _blood_."

"Oh great!" Yugi stood up weakly and threw his hands up into the air, "Great! Just what we need! _Blood_ on the wall! How much more freaky can this mansion get? I'm surprised Kaiba isn't tearing it down this minute…or suing whoever is writing this! …Say…I wonder…who _is_ writing this?"

"Can you think of no one?" Ryou asked.

Yugi turned his head slightly, "…No…not really…."

"Don't you remember what Tea said earlier?"

"Which part? The '_someone is touching me_'-" Yugi scowled at the memory, "Or '_there's a ghost in here'_?"

"The latter. There _is_ a ghost here, Yugi, I'm sure of it."

"How sure? Like…you've _seen_ it "sure" or…"hunch" sure?"

"What if I told you Bakura was dwelling in delight in this house? …And the fact that he sensed other dead spirits here beside Yami?"

"Then I would _totally_ agree with you," Yugi nodded.

"Good," Ryou replied, getting up with shaky knees. "I just can't understand why I feel so weak at the moment."

Yugi looked back at the wall. He suddenly started feeling his body.

"Yugi: what in the world are you doing?" Ryou asked.

"Ryou…what if that blood…is _our_ blood?"

Ryou's face paled even more than it already was. "You're not serious! It would explain…but…we have no injuries! _How_?"

"Ghosts are tricky things, aren't they?" Yugi shrugged, "Maybe he didn't need to hurt us."

"Yugi…I too am starting to wonder why the heck Kaiba did not just tear this blasted house down!" Ryou affirmed.

* * *

"Well…its official: we're lost," Tristan said. 

"I'm gonna agree wit' ya on dis one," Joey nodded, looking back and forth between three different doorways.

"Dang it, this is just like before," Tristan cursed. "Except last time, we had Duke with us."

"Yeah…_now_ we're totally lost! Great!" Joey sighed, slumped to the ground, with Mai on his back.

Tristan sat down too. "I'd say that normally we should split up and go through each door, but with Mai out, we probably shouldn't."

"You _would_ say we should split up? Are ya NUTS!" Joey hollered at Tristan, "This place is a walkin' guillotine!"

"Joey…this house _doesn't_ walk."

"Well…I wouldn't be surprised if it started to. It's creepy an' all dat. I'm just amazed dat we haven't found our way out yet! How _hard_ can it be to find your way outta a mansion! I mean: COME ON!"

"I say we resort to the alternative," Tristan raised his finger.

"Yep," Joey replied, raising his own index finger. They both too a deep breath-

"One potato, two potato, three potato, four!" they both pointed to the door on the far left.

"Dat's where we go," Joey stood up. Tristan stood as well.

"So be it," Tristan walked over to the door and opened it.

Something whizzed by Tristan's head and stuck in the wood of the door, wagging back and forth with an odd clanging to it.

Tristan gulped and looked at what had barely taken an eye out of him.

A dagger.

"JOEY! ON SECOND THOUGHT, I SAY WE TAKE THE DOOR FURTHEST FROM THIS ONE!" Tristan yelled, backtracking clumsily and running through the other door on the far right.

"RIGHT BEHIND YA!" Joey yelled out, taking after Tristan, and racing with him to be first. Neither one wanted to be in the back where the assassin was.

A ghost boy stepped from the threshold of the left door and smirked, wrenching the dagger from the door with a smooth jerk.

"Very good, my three _dumb_ mice…. Run _right_ into the maze of death….." He smirked. "Soon, my vengeance will be restored. I'll be left alone here again…and I'll have the only company I'll ever want," he smiled. "After I take care of her currently unharmed traveling companion."

* * *

Duke was fidgety ever since he had read that message on the wall. Everywhere, he was poking around corners cautiously and looking behind his back at every moment. Death could be around any corner…. 

"Duke?"

"YAH!" he jumped and put himself flat against the wall.

"Calm down, already!" Serenity reprimanded, coming at him, "This is the fifteenth time you've jumped when I've said your name! What the heck is wrong with you?"

"Oh…Serenity…sorry. Really…its nothing," Duke answered, "Just the aura of the house…it gives me the creeps."

"I'm not taking that answer again. You're lying to me, Duke: I can't trust you anymore! Why won't you tell me the truth!" she stomped her foot on the ground.

Duke sighed, "Alright, alright. Look, Serenity…I'm just…scared."

"Why?" Serenity looked at him calmly and concerned.

"…Remember that message on the wall?"

"The one in blood?" she shivered, "Yeah…why?"

Duke hesitated and looked away. Could he really being himself to voice aloud what he thought would be his fate? To voice aloud was to accept. Was he going to accept this fortune of fate?

"I…I think…I think it was talking about me."

Serenity blinked, "…_How?"_

"Remember when it said, "The Duke dies at dawn?""

"Yes, but-" Serenity stopped. Realization hit her. "The _Duke…._ It was capitalized! It…It mean…_you!_ OH MY GOD!" she screamed starting to run around in circles, "WE HAVE TO SAVE YOU! OH MY GO-"

"SERENITY!" Duke stopped her in her tracks. She fell forward into him. He held her by her upper arms, "Serenity, _calm down_. You're acting more paranoid over this than I am! And I'm the one who's probably going to be killed!"

"Oh…THAT CAN'T HAPPEN! IT JUST CAN'T!" she clutched onto his arm, afraid that if she let go, he would keel over on the spot.

"It's alright, Serenity…I'll be fine," he patted her back. How weird this felt…. Should _he_ be the one getting patted on the back in consolation?

* * *

Tea froze as the Kaiba brothers kept walking down the hall, oblivious to her stopping. It couldn't be…. She must be imagining things…. Mokuba having…_fangs_? No way! Vampires and fangs were all parts of myths and folktales! They weren't real! 

Then again…this house seemed anything _but_ real.

"You coming, Tea?" Mokuba had looked back around, with a most innocent expression on his face.

Tea nodded and began walking. After he had turned back around, she shook her head. She was surely just imagining things…. Fangs…ha! Who would believe such a thing!

Seto led them down a few corridors to the bathroom. Mokuba jumped at the chance to get some water and ran to the sink, twisting the knob immediately.

Tea came up next to Seto and watched the boy inside the bathroom drinking. She examined all of his movements, just to make sure she wasn't paranoid.

Seto caught her scrutinizing his brother and immediately protested, "Just what are you looking for, exactly?"

Tea snapped out of her gaze and turned her eyes upon him, "Oh, nothing…nothing. Just a little paranoid…that's all. I swear Mokuba had…oh, never mind," she muttered quickly, turned back away.

"Had what?" Seto pressed on. He fully agreed that Tea was growing paranoid –heck, the observation she had made about him last night was enough to prove that- but _how_ paranoid was she?

"Nothing: you'll just think me to be even crazier than you already think I am."

That was probably true, he reasoned. Nevertheless….

"Tell me," he demanded.

"No."

"Say it."

"No!"

"Out with it!"

"Why must you be so nosy!" Tea snapped back.

"Uh…guys? Is something wrong?" Mokuba had come back and was looking up at the two, confused.

"Nothing is wrong, _Mokuba_," she stressed, and patted him on the head, before going to get a drink herself.

Mokuba turned around and glared at her. Tea did not notice. Seto, however, did.

He eyed his brother. He _had_ been acting slightly off kilter since his return. What _had_ happened to his brother?

"Mokuba?" he asked.

"Yes, big brother?" Mokuba turned around with a closed smile. Seto's eyes narrowed. Closed smile: the first sign of something being wrong. His brother always held large and open smiles.

"What's up, kid?" Seto knelt down to his brother's height, "Maybe you should tell me _exactly_ what happened while you were away."

"I told you, Seto, I don't remember!" Mokuba flung his arms up into the air. "Will you just leave me alone about it!" his eyes burned with an intense fire. "After all: since when would _you_ care!" Mokuba covered his mouth with his hands immediately.

Tea's head shot up. _That_ did not sound like something Mokuba would say.

"Gardner! Get over here!" Seto demanded. She was going to tell him _now_ what she thought was wrong with Mokuba, because it was most obvious now.

Tea stood and sighed, looking into the mirror.

She screamed.

There was that face again! That boy with the knife! He was…_smirking_ at her!

Tea stumbled backwards in an effort to get away. However, due to the recent fishing for water –and the three not being as neat as they normally might have been- water was slopped all over the floor. She slipped on the slick tile, flipped backwards and landed on the small of her back. A sharp pain seared up her back before she felt her head knock into the hard tile.

Darkness immediately took hold on her sight.

"Tea!" Seto suddenly exclaimed, quite forgetting himself, and coming forward. He nay not act nicely towards her or her friends, but that didn't mean he could put her life in jeopardy by just leaving her there without any attention. Heck, Seto Kaiba had _some_ morals about him! As long as they didn't concern money….

Seto stooped towards Tea, and was sitting her up, when he suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck.

His eyes went wide and his struggled for breath. He stood there, frozen for a moment, before he too passed out cold on the side of the floor.

Mokuba stood, heaving behind him, staring down at the two knocked-out teens. His stone cold glare riveted over their motionless bodies.

A droplet of precious blood dripped from one of Mokuba's protruded fangs. He cursed and licked up the rest of it that was still on his teeth. He wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. Looking back, Seto's blood lay smeared across it.

"What a waste…" he murmured. He looked back and saw more blood dripping from the back of Seto's neck as he lay on the floor next to a still Tea –his arm fallen across her middle in a protective-like fashion.

The blood was dripping down onto the teen's collar.

"What a waste…" Mokuba sighed, shaking his head.

* * *

"D-Do you think w-we lost him y-yet?" Tristan panted heavily, supporting himself on the side of the wall. 

"I-I t-t'ink so," Joey gasped. Running with Mai on his back sure had been quite the workout. Why couldn't she just wake up!

"Guys…what are you all out of breath for?"

"THANK GOD!" Joey proclaimed, forgetting Mai on his back and raising his hands high up into the air to praise the Lord, "SHE LIVES!"

"OW! JOEY, YOU MORON!" Mai rubbed her back, having fallen from his back.

"Mai! You're up!" Tristan cried out.

"Well, yeah…after that bumpy ride," Mai rubbed her head, "Great…I have a headache now…." They paused for a minute, while the boys caught their breath and Mai helped her aching limbs. "So…what _were_ you guys running from anyway?"

"The ghost with the dagger! He's real! I swear to God!" Tristan exclaimed, "Tea wasn't seeing stuff! She was telling the truth! She was right, right down to the Pollock socks!" (1)

"Pollock socks?" Joey asked, "What's dat supposed ta mean?"

"Never mind, Joey," Mai sighed.

"So…where are we going from here?" Tristan asked.

"How about _down the hallway_?" Mai stated in a "duh" type of voice, "That's the only way _to_ go!"

"Oh…right. I'm just so used to having to choose doors," Tristan laughed.

"True," Joey smirked.

"Come on, you lazy bums, let's go then. I have a feeling that we're _quite_ close," Mai got up and started walking.

"What makes you say that?" Tristan inquired.

"A gut feeling," Mai replied. Of course…the tickly feeling in her gut also could have been telling her that something bad was going to happen….

* * *

"Very good, Mokuba." 

Mokuba turned his head around and watched the ghost boy materialize and walk up next to him. "Thanks. But…er…do we _have_ to waste all of that blood? I mean…it's just…_wasting_ away on the floor…without someone to drink it…like me…who really wants it…who's _dying _for a thirst-"

"You're dying alright, that's for sure," the ghost laughed. "_Many_ are…."

Mokuba glared at him, "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

The blue-eyed ghost laughed once more, "Why don't you come join me and see? And then, Mokie…" he put his ghostly arm around the boy, "You can have _all_ the blood you want…."

Mokuba smiled, "That sounds _grand_."

"But first," the other boy replied, gesturing to the two bodies on the floor, "we have some small business to take care of."

"Oh yeah…" Mokuba sighed. "Seto _always_ comes first…."

The ghost narrowed his eyes, "So I've noticed…. Come now. You grab your brother. I'll…_retrieve_ Tea…."

"You're just looking for a good chance to lay your hands on her," Mokuba retorted, picking his brother up with inhuman strength. Or at least un-age-like strength (for a twelve-year-old).

"Very good…" the ghost replied, picking Tea up. He looked down at her. "Soon, Tea…. Soon…you'll be _just like me_…."

* * *

Bakura and Yami walked into a living room. In fact, this seemed to be the main living room. It had pictures hung up all over the walls and placed on the tables. Couches littered the area, along with a large television, fireplace and grand piano. 

"Just look at this rat-hole," Bakura commented, "Everything was left here…. I could sell this stuff and become rich!"

"By stealing it first," Yami reprimanded. "Still, five-thousand years later, you are a thief. It's despicable."

"Oh, just because you have always had everything handed to you by countless servants, makes my way of living _despicable_," Bakura snapped, "Go shove something up your-"

"Enough!" Yami threw out. "What vile language you speak. This age puts a radical mouth upon you."

"I rather like this new world better," Bakura crossed his arms, "I don't have to make a living. I have Ryou here do it for me," he smirked.

"Only because we are helpless spirits," Yami responded, tracing a picture frame with his finger. The dust clung to his finger as he wiped it.

Bakura shook his head, "No, _we_ are not the helpless spirits here."

"What are you saying?" Yami spun around, knocking the picture from the table. It clattered to the ground, and the glass broke. "Crap," Yami muttered, bending to pick up the undamaged frame and picture within.

"I'm saying that _we_ at least have bodies. The souls roaming around this mansion –and so help me Ra if there are not at least three here- have no body to return to…that I know of. Their aura has the stench of freedom. They are not bound to a body…though I'm sure they long for that binding, as most do."

"Like you, you mean?" Yami replied, pulling out the picture from the back of the frame. Something had caught his eye in the picture.

"Do you not desire a body yourself? And of course, only the _right_ body would do for _you,"_ Bakura sneered. "Making that stupid puzzle that only one person could solve was who you regarded as the right person to serve as host. I, on the other hand, was fine with whomever I got."

"Yet you treat him like trash," Yami replied, scanning the picture.

"You-"

"Bakura…look at this. Does any of this ring a bell?" Yami handed the photo to Bakura. Bakura snatched it up and looked at it. "I cannot remember quite clearly…but sifting through Yugi's memories…I've seen that face before."

"Who? The old man's? Well, yes. It's been in the newspaper several times. I would know. Ryou here _dies_ for the newspaper, the nerd," Bakura threw the picture back to Yami, who caught it swiftly.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Who is it?"

"A man named Gozaburo Kaiba –the old geezer, that is. I have no idea who the brat next to him might be."

"Kaiba…. Could this be Seto Kaiba's stepfather? We do know that he was adopted…" Yami stated.

"How should I know? Kaiba's a secluded idiot," Bakura replied, walking around the room, admiring the many pricey items.

"Yes…and that boy there looks…_just like_ Kaiba…" Yami remarked.

"Except for the dorky European look and green hair," Bakura replied from the other side of the room, looking up at the large frame above the fireplace.

"Ryou's from Europe, you know," Yami replied. "You're insulting him. However…Yugi said once there was a joke about this kind of attire…. What was it? Some sort of nationality…."

"What, like the Nubians?" Bakura inquired.

"Yes…but not in Africa. Europe…."

"Like I said: he looks like a dorky European," Bakura said, "There and in this portrait too."

Yami looked up and walked over to Bakura, "By the gods…he's all over the place! Along with Gozaburo."

"Yeah…and there's quite the pretty lady in this one though," Bakura admired.

"Probably Gozaburo's wife," Yami retorted. Bakura's face fell. "That must make the kid their son," Yami added.

"Good detective work," Bakura laughed. "Come on…if you won't let me pocket anything, I have no more business here. Let's move on!"

"Fine," Yami sighed, replacing the picture. Something was tugging at his mind though. Something told him he should have stayed here to investigate this….

* * *

Serenity suddenly snapped out of a reverie in the middle of a hallway. She practically jumped out of her skin when she saw where she was. How did she get here? 

The last thing she remembered was falling asleep with Duke in some sitting room some where. How had she ended up here?

This was starting to scare her. She had never known herself to sleepwalk. Then again…anything was possible.

She looked around for a clue as to where she was. She then snapped. She remembered now! They had passed through this hallway not long ago. It was only a few away from the sitting room where they had camped out for the night. Surprisingly, yes, they had still been roaming around for an exit by the time the next night had come. And although they had not eaten in a couple days, she really wasn't all that hungry. She was a bit thirsty, yes, but not so much.

She began walking back to the room. According to the rays of sunlight starting to come through the windows from other rooms and the hall windows, she was judging that it was about dawn.

She froze. Something about dawn…. What was it…?

Oh no! Duke! He was in danger!

Serenity broke into a run to get back to the sitting room. She rounded two corners and flew to the doorway of the sitting room and stopped at its threshold.

Serenity could not even gasp. Her breath had caught in her throat. Her eyes widened in terror at what she was witnessing.

_No…._

Duke Devlin lay on his stomach with a dagger sticking vertically out of his back; and plunged about a third of the way in.

And worse than that…

Someone was bent over Duke, licking up the blood that leaked from his wound.

* * *

Muwhahaha! The fun begins! I've been waiting for this point for a while! Let the onslaught begin…. PLEASE REVIEW! 

(1) In reference to the Polish/Pollock thing. No offense to any Poles (I myself am of half Polish origin): it's just a joke about the socks being pulled up to the knees thing. Heck, my mom and I make fun of myself all of the time when I wear socks like that!


	8. Flight through the Mansion

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 8: Flight through the Mansion**

Serenity froze. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't do _anything_. The pure shock was still registering in her mind.

_Duke had a dagger in his back._

_Duke was dead._

_There was someone…or something licking up his blood._

_She would be dead meat if that 'thing' looked up._

Serenity though she was going to be nauseous, but also felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow. How could Duke be dead! It just wasn't possible! If she had been there, she could have stopped it from happening, maybe! Who had killed him anyway? Had it been that thing there? How had she even left the room in the first place? She didn't remember getting up and walking away. Had she been sleepwalking?

So many questions flitted through her head, as her eyes still watched the being that drank. She was disgusted, yet could not do anything about it. And there were so many questions to answer! How could she answer them? What _were_ the answers!

And then she thought up one…a worst case scenario one. How had she walked away? Serenity never knew herself to be a sleepwalker. Never. It just never happened. So there was only one other possible explanation. And it was Ryou's voice that rang in her head.

_You were possessed._

The creature lifted its head and stared straight into Serenity's eyes. His eyes had an eerie glow about them. The creature stood, and Serenity let out a small, unheard squeak, as she stepped back.

Moonlight fell through the thin curtains that mysteriously blew in an invisible wind. As the creature stepped into the path of the moonlight, Serenity swore she felt her stomach just fall right out of her – there was no feeling in her middle.

The creature…

Was Mokuba.

* * *

Joey spun around as he heard a scream pierce the still air of the mansion.

"SERENITY!" he called out, running back the way they had come, "THAT WAS SERENITY! HOLD ON, SIS! I'M COMING!"

"JOEY, HOLD UP!" Tristan took off after his friend.

"GUYS!" Mai yelled back, sighing and running after them.

"SERENITY!" Joey shouted into the air, "**SERENITY!**" He ran around corners, not caring where he was going. He just had to find his sister! Who knew what was happening to her!

Joey rounded a corner and barely missed being hit by a whizzing dagger.

"YAH!" Joey shrieked, falling backwards, onto his bum. Tristan barely noticed Joey, and stopped right before he tripped over the boy, but Mai barreled into Tristan, sending them into a crumpled heap on the floor.

"GUYS! GET UP! DAT GHOST IS BACK!" Joey hollered, struggling to stand.

"WHAT!" the two others replied. They all froze as they heard the dagger being prying out of the wall with a swift _swish_.

Slowly, the trio turned their heads to face that of the ghost boy's.

The boy glared back at them, and ran his finger along the sharp edge of the knife. "Running after another player in the game? No…we can't have that, now can we?" he asked, smirking evilly.

"What did you do to my sist'a, you creep!" Joey shouted.

The ghost flung out the dagger, so that he held it an inch away from Joey's nose, "Don't speak like that to me, or you'll receive the same fate your friend did."

"What? What friend?" Mai popped up.

"What fate?" Tristan squeaked.

The boy smiled, "That's for you to find out soon enough. As for Serenity…she's having a run in with one of my earlier experiments…. And dear Tea and Seto…well…they'll come round in a little bit. Unfortunately, a terrible accident will occur to one lucky person of the two. I can't wait."

"You're sick!" Mai spat out, "You _like_ killing innocent people for fun!"

"Watch what you're saying!" the boy was behind her in a split second, holding the knife against her throat, and pulling her head back by her long, blonde hair. "You don't know _what_ you're talking about. You have no idea what has gone on. You have no idea why I'm doing _any_ of this. So shut up, unless you want to meet your destiny earlier than expected," he snarled. He threw her head down, and Joey made to wring his neck.

Joey phased right through the boy. He fell to the floor, amazed.

"I'm a ghost, idiot," he retorted, "You can't touch me."

Tristan stuttered, "B-But-"

The boy smirked, "I can touch you." He walked over to Tristan and slapped him with the flat of the blade. The smack ran loudly in the hallway, and Mai winced. Tristan's eyes had widened. "That's to remember what I can…and _will_ do to you."

And with that, the boy was gone: off to finish business elsewhere.

* * *

Serenity shivered violently. She couldn't move. Her legs just would not respond to her wishes.

Mokuba was drawing closer to her, smirking evilly, revealing pointed and bloody fangs.

"M-M-Mokuba," Serenity whispered, "H-How could you? W-What happened to you? W-Who did that to Duke! Mokuba! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

"Ssssserenity," he hissed just above a whisper, "you must know by now…that I _live _off blood." He was suddenly right in front of her. Serenity's face paled as he ran a finger down the side of her jaw, as her legs still refused to move. He face turned from a smile to an emotionless straight line, "But I didn't kill Duke."

That was all it took. Serenity suddenly found her will again, and she tore away from his touch, sprinting down the hallway. She heard Mokuba running after her.

Serenity felt the tears flying from her cheeks as she tore through the many corridors, slamming through doors, and locking as many as possible, with the time allotted.

But eventually, she would hear Mokuba coming after her again, and with the light she sometimes ran through, she could see his shadow behind her.

After zigzagging through some halls, she ran into the kitchen and ducked into a large cabinet.

She relaxed there for a moment, catching her breath. Her heart pounded, and sweat ran down from her temples and forehead. There was a growing stitch in her side, and she rolled her head from side to side, breathing heavily. She couldn't believe she was running from _Mokuba_ of all people.

_What's happened to him? He's become a vampire! It's like he's been…possessed…or…something…._

Something weird was going on in this house. First, Duke was possessed, so Ryou said. Then, she felt as if _she_ had been possessed. Was Mokuba possessed too?

Too many questions! And now, she had to find a way out of here! But did she dare risk crawling out of the cabinet?

Serenity let her left arm fall to her side. Then she noticed something. _Strange…there should be a wall here…._ Serenity looked and to her utter relief, she saw that the cabinets were in fact just on long row of compartments with multiple doors.

She could crawl the length of them to the other side without being seen! She wondered though, if the cabinets were connected with the others in the kitchen. Perhaps they were just one long maze! And then, she could escape to the other exit in the room!

She began carefully crawling through the squashed interior. Sure, she felt quite claustrophobic in this closed space –the feeling of getting stuck always bothered her in these cramped quarters- yet there were doors, and she could open them a little at any time should she need a reassurance of air.

Then again, what if Mokuba was behind one of them?

Serenity felt terrible, running from _Mokuba_ like this. But what had gotten into the boy? He didn't seem _human_ anymore! Drinking blood, growing fangs: it was all so vampiric! This was definitely _not_ the Mokuba she had come to know and lo-

Whoa, hold on there. She was getting carried away with the old catch phrase "_come to know and **love**_." Well, she loved him _as a friend_, but as anything else? No! Of course not! …Right? Then again, she had felt a slight, small, teensy, weensy, _possible_ hint (very unlikely…?) of attraction during Battle City….

Serenity shook her head and continued concentrating on where she was crawling. She would sort out those thoughts later. For now, she just had to escape from –it sounded awful, but had to be said- Mokuba.

Reaching the end of the line of cabinets, she looked around and reached out her head. There was nothing: just air. She smiled. Just as she had guessed. She was in a maze of extraneously needed cabinets – ones that only the rich would ever think of wasting their money on.

She continued crawling, going only a short way until she turned right; kept crawling, and then to the left. She felt very confident by now. She hadn't heard any sign of Mokuba in the kitchen, so she felt pretty safe. Still though, he could be anywhere….

_SMACK!_

Serenity froze as pain rushed to her forehead. Not only was her head throbbing now, but she had kept still because of the noticeable noise she had made. Sure, it had been a rather quiet thump, but with the silence of the house, one could hear almost _anything_. What if Mokuba had heard?

She kept still for a few minutes, staying in that tiring position, with her knees still killing her (crawling was a very difficult and painful thing to do, especially in shorts).

After hearing no sudden movements, she slowly began moving again. She wondered how long the cabinets went.

Once she got to the other end, she found out.

_It's all sealed here. This must be the end. So…I have to leave the safety now. I wonder which side the door out of the kitchen is on?_ She sucked in her breath and cautiously propped open the cabinet door slightly and peeped out. The door was in the center of the room. She closed the cabinet and crawled to the center –or what se presumed was about the center- of the line of compartments and waited for a second. _It's now or never. If you make a quick dash for it, you can make it out the door and out of harms' way…hopefully._

Serenity breathed quickly, then held it all in as she stealthily opened the door, slid out and ran bent over to the door. She turned the knob quietly and looking back behind her just to make sure no one was there, she slipped into the hall beyond.

As soon as she was through the door, she turned her back on the hall and locked the kitchen door. She stood there, releasing the anxiety and nervousness of the built up pressure that had wound up her insides.

She backed up a couple steps and ran smack into something.

Serenity slowly turned around, dreading who or what she might see.

Her mouth dropped open. _It couldn't be! OH MY GOD, IT IS!

* * *

_

"Did you enjoy your meal, Mokie?" the ghost smirked as an angry looking Mokuba stalked into the room, wiping blood stains from his mouth.

"Yeah," he replied in a raspy voice, "But it was interrupted. I swear I'll sink my fangs into that girl when I find her again! Why did you have to call me, master? I was just about to catch her!"

"Patience, patience, dear Mokuba," the ghost boy held the vampire at arms' length. "You'll get her soon enough. I'm having someone else…chase her, for now. But I'll make sure he doesn't take your job in her life. You get to fulfill _that_ honor."

Mokuba smirked evilly, "Thank you sir."

"You're very welcome, dear boy. I promise: when all of this is over, your reward will be great. But to achieve this reward, you must help me some more." The ghost turned around and gestured to the two bodies slumped on the floor. "You remember your brother and Miss Tea, don't you? I've decided on the perfect place to place them now. They'll be led to their places of destiny soon enough…" he laughed.

Mokuba looked at the two bodies. _Seto…why does that boy make me feel…**different**? And what does the girl have to do with any of this? The Master just wants…what? What does he want? He's never really…**told** me…._

"Sir?" Mokuba started, "What do any of us have to do with whatever it is that you are planning. …What _are_ you planning?"

The ghost narrowed his eyes, "_Revenge_."

* * *

"Joey…I want to get out of here _now_," Mai cried into his shirt. She was terrified. She was _beyond _terrified. "Why are we even in here? What did we do to deserve any of this!"

"It's alright, Mai…we'll get out of here soon," Joey rubbed her back as she cried steadily. Tristan was still massaging where the flat of the blade had hit him. It had left a nasty bruise behind, and he was trying to numb the leftover pain. "Why…I feel as if we're _really_ close to finding some sort of an exit."

"I hope you're right. I don't want anything else bad to happen," Mai sobbed, "First, people get possessed! Then, we're split up! And now…that stupid ghost has said he's _killed_ someone! Who is it, Joey? Is he going to kill all of us?" she cried.

Joey let a tear fall. In all honesty, he didn't know who had been killed, or if the ghost was even telling the truth. But if he was…he had a gut feeling that he knew who had been killed. That scream…. Had it been his sister? It brought feelings of sorrow and hatred with the mere thought. Serenity _couldn't_ have been murdered. She just couldn't have!

And poor Mai…. This wasn't the steadfast girl he knew. She was freaked out beyond all reason, and she wasn't coming back to grips with life any time soon.

"I dunno who's been killed…but that freak may not even be tellin' da truth, Mai! All freaks like that are crappin' liars. So don't listen to a word he says. Everyone's fine, and we'll get out of here soon."

"Joey, this place is cursed! We can't even use a window to escape! They're like…unbreakable!" she cried more.

"She's right, man. If we haven't been able to find _one_ little outing from this place, and the windows can't break, I think our chances of getting out are _pretty_ slim." Mai cried even harder.

"Shaddup, man!" Joey snapped, "That isn't helpin'!"

"Just stating the facts," Tristan shrugged.

* * *

Bakura held out his hand in front of Yami, "Wait. I hear voices…." Yami stopped and listened. Sure enough, he heard them too. The words were incomprehensible yet, but as they walked quietly closer, they became more clear.

"_You'll get her soon enough. I'm having someone else…chase her, for now. But I'll make sure he doesn't take your job in her life. You get to fulfill that honor."_ Bakura and Yami exchanged glances and walked a bit faster.

Then came a voice that had an ounce of familiarity to it, "_Thank you sir."_

Yami looked over at Bakura, "That sounds like Mokuba!" Bakura nodded and walked up to a doorway, taking one side of it. Yami took the other. Together, they peered into the room to see Mokuba standing with his back to them, and a translucent figure standing in front of the mortal, with his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"It's that ghost!" Bakura seethed, "I _knew_ I sensed another presence here!"

"What's that behind them?" Yami whispered, noting the two bodies on the floor.

"Bodies, it looks like."

"_WHAT!_ WHOSE!"

"_You're very welcome, dear boy. I promise: when all of this is over, your reward will be great. But to achieve this reward, you must help me some more_." The ghost turned around and gestured to the two bodies slumped on the floor. "_You remember your brother and Miss Tea, don't you? I've decided on the perfect place to place them now. They'll be led to their places of destiny soon enough…"_ he laughed.

Yami's mouth dropped open, and Bakura frowned. Meanwhile, Yugi, outside his soul room, gaped at the scene.

_Yami! What has he done to them! To Tea! Are they dead!_

_**I don't think so, Yugi. But-**_

_Yami, we have to save them! Who knows what they'll do! Come on!_

_**Yugi, wait-**_

"Sir?" Mokuba started, "What do any of us have to do with whatever it is that you are planning. …What _are_ you planning?" Yugi froze. This was what he wanted to hear. Yami sucked in his breath, and Bakura watched intently.

The ghost narrowed his eyes, "_Revenge_."

Mokuba narrowed his own eyes in confusion, "Revenge? On who?"

The ghost huffed, "Who else? That moron of a man right there," the ghost nodded his head towards Seto.

"But what do Tea and the others have to do with this?"

"Nothing. They just became the unfortunate ones to fall into my hands. Had they stayed away and not interfered, their lives would have been spared. Although I can't say that having Tea come here wasn't a blessing. Quite the contrary…" he looked rather fondly at the unconscious girl.

Yugi narrowed his eyes angrily,_ That freak! How dare he look at Tea like that! Yami, we have to save them! He's going to kill them!_

_**Yugi, wait!**_

Too late though. Yugi, in his spiritual form was already running off towards the group of people.

The ghost boy stiffened and looked towards the direction of the doorway, where Yami and Bakura quickly snapped their heads behind the threshold once more. "I detect another spiritual presence here. But…that's impossible. It couldn't be him…or either of them…." The ghost narrowed his eyes, "Come on, Mokuba; help me take them to the sitting room." Amazingly, the ghost picked up Tea in his arms, and Mokuba –with inhuman strength for a boy that age- picked up his older brother. The ghost touched Mokuba and they disappeared right as Yugi reached where they had been.

_No! TEA!_ Yugi stopped and tears formed in his eyes. He had found her, and she had just slipped form his grasp!

Bakura and Yami entered the room.

"That was interesting," Bakura replied, looking around.

"He took them…" Yami said softly. "He's going to…_kill_ them, it sounds like."

"Possibly," Bakura wasn't very reassuring.

"But why was Mokuba working for him?" Yami looked over at the other spirit of a Millennium Item, "Why would _Mokuba_ do something that _evil_?"

"Evil ways are tempting, what can I say?" Bakura shrugged.

"But Mokuba-"

"What, that boy? He wasn't Mokuba."

"What?"

"His spiritual presence was not that of a human's. And if I'm correct in silence, Mokuba Kaiba is one-hundred percent _human_."

"Well then…maybe that ghost did something to him."

"What, changed him into something non-human?" Bakura sneered.

"It's possible."

"I suppose. Or he could just be possessed."

"But possession would still make the person human, wouldn't it?" Yami inquired.

"Crap," Bakura cursed, nodding, "It would…."

* * *

It was Duke.

_Oh my God…I don't believe it! HOW CAN THIS BE DUKE!_ Serenity was screaming in her mind. Outside, it was deathly silent.

_Deathly_.

"D-Duke? Is that y-you?"

Duke's head slowly lowered to look down at her. She gasped. His emerald eyes, which had always been so sharp, were now just as equally dull and fogged over.

"Duke!" she squeaked. Duke slowly reached his right arm behind him. Serenity took a step backwards.

She winced as she heard a sickening _squelch_ as Duke pulled something out from behind him. Serenity gazed with horror when she saw the bloody knife –that had been embedded in Duke's back- glint dangerously at her in the moonlight.

She couldn't move. There was _no way_ her legs would _ever_ respond.

Duke took a step towards her. He lowered the knife just to about the point where her throat would be.

Serenity's eyes widened.

Duke was going to kill her.

------------  
------------

Serenity's mind barely registered the command to run, before Duke's arm came crashing through the air, right where she had been. The knife made a sharp whistling sound as it cut through the air.

Serenity stumbled backwards and sprinted at the same time, causing her to lose her balance even more.

Duke suddenly lunged at her, with the knife still in hand, and Serenity only ran the one way she could: backwards. And as fast as she could, too.

Just as Duke began the dagger's plunge for her heart, Serenity fell backwards with great force-

And smashed into the window: shattering it.

Serenity barely breathed as she felt shards of glass pierce her skin in all sorts of places. Time seemed to slow as she fell through the air, wondering when she would hit the ground.

The ground seemed so far away…. Was she on a higher floor?

_Wait_, a thought slowly came to her mind, _How could I have crashed through the window…if the windows are unbreakable!_

With that last intelligent thought, she hit the stone floor _hard_. Shimmering pieces of glass were coming to claim her life as they plummeted.

_I'm going to die…_ Serenity thought out calmly. _Funny…I always thought I would be more panicked than this…._

The shards were mere inches away.

"Goodbye, Joey," she whispered. She couldn't move. She felt paralyzed. That fall to the ground had done some serious damage, and she needed to recalibrate. Besides, there was no time to move now: death was eminent.

"Goodbye, everyone," she whispered as she closed her eyes.

A single, sharp and unexpected pain suddenly plunged itself into her arm, and coursed through the rest of her body. Though a great scream erupted from Serenity's voice, only a small _breath_ of life escaped Serenity's lips.

* * *

Duke lay out on the sill of the broken window. He had fallen over, and was half hanging out of it. He seemed lifeless, just lying there. Glass pierced his skin near some rather vital points, but he did not seem to care. In fact…pain seemed like such an absurd idea at the moment.

He looked at his empty hand, where the dagger had once been. He then turned his gaze to the calm looking body beneath him. The glass was falling towards her.

A translucent boy suddenly appeared behind him. He leaned out of the window for a look, quickly waved his hand, and seemed to quickly reconsider something else. He then turned to Duke.

"Devlin, get up. Your work here is done. I will call on you later should I need assistance."

Duke slowly obeyed, pushing himself up with his arms. His body pulled out of the broken glass, leaving great gashes in his body, with blood streaming down. Yet he did not sway, nor faint.

The ghost snapped his fingers, and the painless boy vanished.

The ghost looked up at the ceiling, seeming to say to himself, "Soon, dear Mokuba. Soon…."

* * *

_Tea felt a slight pressure on her lips. She slowly fluttered her eyes open, and saw someone pull back. Someone vaguely familiar. Who was he? And what had he been doing?_

_She remembered the pressure. Casually, she brought a hand up to her mouth. Had he just…**kissed** her?_

_"Hello, Tea," he said to her._

_"Wha-?" Tea started. How did he know her name? Though he did have a rather nice voice at the volume he had dropped it to. It was a bit high – perhaps he had not experienced puberty yet- but it was still nice in that hushed tone. "How do you know my name?" she asked softly._

_He leaned in closer to her, caressing her face with his hand, which felt so soft and warm to the touch. "Tea…I know **everything** about you."_

_"H-How?" Tea stuttered. Sure, she liked the way this voice sounded – she even liked the way her looked! But he was starting to creep her out now…._

_"I have my ways," he replied. She was about to retort, but he began speaking again, "Tea. I can help you. I can help you reach peace."_

_"Reach peace? Like what? Heaven? Nirvana? Moksha? What type of peace are you talking about?"_

_"Something like what you mentioned…. Just not entirely…."_

_Tea narrowed her eyes. He was still running a hand down her cheek and feeling her hair. "What's your name?" Then she noticed something else she swore had not been there before. "And…why are you wearing Kaiba's clothing?"_

_"What!" the figure took his hand away and looked down at his clothes. _

_Tea saw something else, "You know…you do look a lot like Seto…." She liked using his real name in dreams. Oh wait! So that's what this was! A dream! **Her** dream. …Why would she dream about this guy? _

_The figure stared at her with a sudden realization. He then tried to look at a lock of his own hair, which was slowly changing into a chestnut brown._

_"No!" he exclaimed, though halfway through the change, his higher voice became replaced with a lower one: one Tea actually knew._

_And there before her, sat Seto Kaiba._

_She had no idea who that boy had been, and how he knew all about her. There was just something fishy and familiar about him…._

_As Seto slowly looked up at Tea, Tea began to think that that had been why he looked familiar. It must only be because he looked a lot like Seto. That was all. No bad memories or anything…._

_Seto started leaning closer to her, his eyelids slowly closing._

_Oh, Tea liked this dream better already!

* * *

_

Near the ceiling of the room, the ghost boy clenched his fists in anger. He had forgotten about that regulation! It was her dream: she could manipulate it into _anything_ she _desired_.

So what was this saying about her? She _desired_ Seto Kaiba over _him?_ True, she didn't even _know_ him, but he should have at least had quite a range of possibility _over_ Seto Kaiba! Shouldn't he have?

Then again, he didn't know _Tea Gardner's entire_ mind. There ere some restricted passages that he had been unable to enter.

What if one of those restricted passages contained the secrets of her love?

* * *

Tea stirred. She had just had the weirdest of dreams! First that weird boy…and then _Seto Kaiba_. Speaking of Seto…. She opened her eyes blearily and looked around her, from her viewpoint on the ground. _Where am I? Wasn't I in a bathroom last time? Where is this?_

She slowly sat up and looked around. _And where are the Kaibas – oh God!_ She had turned halfway around and saw Seto lying a couple feet away from her. What had scared her so much was his unconscious –not sleeping- but _unconscious_ look, and the fact that he had two great gashes on the back of his neck.

"Kaiba?" Tea quickly scurried over to him, as much as her pained back would allow. She knelt by his side and gave him a little shake. "Kaiba!" He didn't do so much as stir. Was he even alive?

Tea couldn't tell. His chest didn't seem to be rising, but that could be because he was breathing shallowly. Tea never was very good at detecting pulses. Plus…that just creeped her out.

Next, she just turned him up so that he was on his back. She leaned in closer and put a hand in front of his mouth. She waited….

_There!_ Breath was escaping. Good, so he _was_ alive. Tea sighed, content, and unconsciously ran a finger down the edge of his lips. As she realized what she was doing, she quickly drew her hand back. _Stupid dream must still be making me act weirdly…._ She then thought about those two marks on his neck. Where had they come from? Carefully, she turned his head sideways and peered at the gashes. There they were: just two rather circular cuts.

"Hmm," she hummed aloud, "It's like something out of a horror movie or something. Like a vampire-" she stopped.

Two things registered in her mind, both connected to the same person.

_Vampire._

_Kaiba._

_**Mokuba**._

_Where was Mokuba? And…had HE been the one that did this? It couldn't be! Not Seto's little brother! But then…hadn't Tea **seen** those fangs on him! Oh goodness…. What a twisted web this wove!_

"But where IS Mokuba?" Tea looked around. "Why would he leave us? Especially with his brother in this condition?" Well, in a sense, she already knew the answer to the last part. Had Mokuba indeed done this to Seto, he wouldn't have really cared to stick around, would he?

So…what had _happened_ to Mokuba to make him change like this? And where was he! Seto would flip when he woke up….

She turned back to him. Should she go search for Mokuba, or stay here and watch over Seto's vulnerable body? Was it best to split up in this creepy house? After all, on more times than one had they stepped through one place and been brought to another.

This time, included.

* * *

Still above the two, the ghost watched Tea's every move. He narrowed his eyes even more. She was paying so much attention to him! He couldn't have that! He had two choices: wake Seto up to give _her_ a rude awakening –that could send her packing-, or, he could rush the plan a little bit.

He would rush the plan. It made life better for him, after all.

He phased through the ceiling and ended up in a dark area. There sat Mokuba, in the blackness once more.

"Mokuba," he knelt down in front of the forlorn looking boy, "Don't you want your brother to find you? Call for him Mokuba. Call for him."

Mokuba looked up, his eyes dark and sorrowful. "It's a trick."

The ghost narrowed his eyes, which slowly began glowing red, "_Call for him._"

Mokuba's own eyes relaxed and a reddish tint shone in them. With a cry he yelled out, "_SETO!_"

* * *

"_SETO!_"

The voice rang throughout the mansion. Joey, Mai and Tristan's heads sot up, listening to the voice. Duke barely noticed. Yami and Bakura jumped and searched wildly around.

Tea jumped up and looked around. "Mokuba! Where are you, Mokuba!" She ran to the threshold of the room and peered out into the dimly lit hallway. Only the light of the moon and stars filtered in through the curtain-less windows.

She looked back at Seto, still on the floor. _Should I leave him here?_ It was a tough decision. Mokuba had to be close: his voice had seemed like it was just right outside! But if she left Seto's side, they might be split up….

_Humph_, Tea suddenly thought, _he'd probably welcome the thought of losing me. So I'll do him a favor…just because I…I…or, screw it. I'll just leave him alone._ And with that, she stalked out of the room in an angry matter.

What was the point? He'd never return her feelings anyway….

* * *

The ghost smirked. "Very good, Mokie. I'm very proud of you. Now…." He disappeared, and reappeared inside the window from which Serenity had fallen, "Now for your second task."

* * *

Well! I HOPE you enjoyed THAT update. I myself REALLY liked this chapter! If you hadn't noticed, I got some of my undertoned romance in there AND I REALLY liked how the suspense/horror in this chapter turned out. REALLY. So, PLEASE REVIEW! Leave any comments on like…scale of "horror" or "suspense" or whatever. Thanks! 


	9. Suspense and Seperation Anxiety

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 9: Suspense and Separation Anxiety**

_What…? I'm not dead? How can that be? …All that glass…. Did none of it hit me? I don't feel anything. Well…there was that one pain…. I feel that…but it's covered in warmth. Sweet warmth…. Wait a second…. Puncture…warmth…oh no!_

Serenity slowly and dazedly opened her eyes. She was alive…it was amazing! And she was in the exact same place that she had fallen: something else surprising.

There was just one thing that bothered her.

She looked over at her arm where she had felt the pain and gasped.

There, sticking vertically out of the middle of her upper arm was Duke's dagger. From the deep wound, dark blood oozed. It ran off her arm and had formed quite the puddle around it.

Panting, Serenity took the dagger shakily with her other hand and wrenched it out. She almost passed out from the pain alone, not to mention the blood loss. She sat up and dropped the knife, looking around her. Across the stone walk, thousands of pieces of glass lay: all having missed her.

_How can that be? I was in their direct path! It's…**impossible!**_ Yet, she realized much of the impossible here was _very_ possible.

The puddle of her blood was quite large and some of it had stained her clothes. _I have to get this wound wrapped up,_ she thought, _or I'll bleed to death._ She noticed that her breathing had gotten much heavier already._ In fact…I'm surprised I haven't died already!_

Taking the bottom of her shirt, she struggled to rip a good piece of the fabric off. She could use quite a lot of it without showing off anything. But still: did showing off anything matter when her life was on the line?

After having torn off what she thought would be good enough, she started wrapping up the gash with one hand. It was quite difficult. Her hand often picked up trails of blood and stained her fingers. She had to wrap it tightly and tie it with her fingers in odd positions. Finally, she had gotten it into a rather suitable knot. It wasn't the best, but it was all that she could do alone.

"So," she stood up, looking around, "I finally got outside, at least. I'm surprised the glass broke: it didn't do that before. But I shouldn't complain. I'm out, and in the perfect situation to look for an exit! This is what we've been searching for! I just wish the others were here with me…. They should be out here to, with a hope of escape. …They shouldn't be lost or…or dead," Serenity felt tears falling, remembering Duke and the possessed Mokuba.

But remembering this also made her more alert.

"But I have to watch out. They could be _anywhere_ out here. I have to keep my eyes open. And…just in case, I suppose, though I would rather not use it…" she bent down and grasped the dagger in her right hand. "One thing I learned from Joey: never go unprepared.

A sudden shining of green light from inside the mansion made her spin around and sprint backwards. She accidentally stepped into the pile of her blood. She felt it splash against her legs and looked down, disgustedly. "Ugh! I got it all over me!"

She looked back up immediately, not wanting the blood to distract her in case anything attacked. The coast looked clear, though.

_I wonder what that green light was,_ she thought. She dismissed it, and then turned to the beginning of the maze of garden. The hedges were high over her head and made it look like she was walking into a labyrinth. She held out the dagger protectively and tread softly, listening alertly for any noise.

* * *

Bakura and Yami walked carefully up some back stairs. There were no lights, so the spirits had improvised.

"I knew being a magical spirit would have some sort of unexpected use one day," Yami muttered to himself. The Millennium Puzzle and Millennium Ring were both glowing, lighting the path before the two.

"Humph," Bakura snorted, "This is a poor use for our great powers. We could be sending that stupid ghost to the Shadow Realm and getting ourselves out of this once and for all!"

"I thought you _wanted_ to explore," Yami narrowed his eyes mockingly.

"I'm getting rather sick of this dump. I hate mysteries, and that's all you've been blabbing about for the past hour!" Bakura hissed. He stopped and made his hand move in a mouth-like manner, while he mimicked, "Oh! I wonder why dear little Mokuba is working for the ghost! What do you think, Bakura? 'Oh, I don't know. Maybe he's _possessed_!' Oh, yes, you could be right! 'Of course I'm right, fool!' Where do you think the others are? 'Why should I care!' Bakura! They're your host's friends! 'So?' So! You should care a little more if you care anything for the well being –be it physical or emotional- for Ryou! 'Oh, shut up already!'" Bakura suddenly let both fists fly down to his sides, "I'm SICK of it already! I want to get out of here and get away from your whining! ARGH!" he stomped off up the stairs.

Yami just looked after him and shook his head. _He will never change…._

**_Give him hope, Yami. Maybe one day-_**

_He's been this way for five thousand years, Yugi: I don't think he's about to change that quickly._

_**Okay, but-**_

_Say, Yugi. What do **you** think about Mokuba's behavior?_

_**Other people haven't changed in the last five thousand years either,** _Yugi mentally sighed and walked out of the telepathic link.

_Yugi! Wait! What did I say!_

"Yo, Pharaoh," Bakura's voice suddenly floated down the stairs, "If it will but your mouth at rest, come up here and take a look at this!"

"What is it?" Yami ran up the stairs and saw Bakura sanding in the threshold of a door. He came up beside the thief and looked inside. "It's a library…. But…why are all the books here? Wouldn't Gozaburo have taken them when he moved?"

"Look closer, pharaoh. Looks like stepson takes after stepfather," Bakura walked up to one of the books and put his hand on it. His hand passed right through the book.

"They're holographic!" Yami walked to another shelf and ran his hand the whole way down.

"Yeah," Bakura replied.

Yami walked back a suddenly stumbled on something. He put his hand on it to steady himself and turned around to see what he had run into. His hand was touching a green, leather-bound book.

"Looks like your theory has a minor flaw," Yami told Bakura, narrowing his eyes, "This book looks real enough."

"Let me see that," Bakura pushed the pharaoh aside and ran a finger down the book. He smirked, "Feels valuable."

"Figures," Yami pushed Bakura back. "But why would someone leave this book and take the others with the move? And why are there even holographic projections of books here?"

Bakura was looking at one shelf in particular, "Perhaps someone wanted to hide the book and started looking at it; forgetting to put it back."

"Why would you say that?" Yami turned to him. He saw Bakura staring in one direction. Yami followed his eyes, and his own widened. In the holographic book selection, there was a gap.

The gap that would normally hold the green book.

"I wonder what's so special about this book," Bakura turned back to it. He wiped some dust away from the cover and read the title.

Yami read it aloud, "The Orichalcos. That's an interesting name…."

Bakura smirked that smirk he smirks when there's something delightful to smirk about, "There's dark magic afoot…."

* * *

"I don't believe it," Joey gaped at the door.

"We did it," Tristan breathed.

"Is it real?" Mai stepped up to the frame and touched it. The cold raced up her nerves and she shivered, "It's real alright.

"We did it!" Joey bounded to Tristan and slapped him on the back, "We found the door to go outside!"

"Oh, Joey, we're finally going to escape!" Mai enveloped Joey in a tight hug, "We're going to get out of this rat hole!"

"Finally!" Tristan but a hand on the doorknob, "Let's go before either it or we disappear!" He wrenched open the door and the three fled outside.

They halted immediately.

"J-Joey…what's t-that?" Mai pointed to the ground.

Joey himself was speechless.

"Well," Tristan put a hand to his chin in that literal way of his, "To me, it looks like a big pile of blood and a bunch of littered glass."

"I WAS BEING SARCASTIC! I KNOW FULL-WELL WHAT IT IS!" Mai yelled at him.

There was a sudden scream from inside the garden.

"Wait a second…I know dat scream!" Joey's head lifted. He stepped forward and bellowed, "SERENITY!"

"J-JOEY!" the voice answered, somewhere deep within the maze of hedges, "JOEY! PLEASE COME FIND ME!"

"WAIT THERE, REN!" Joey yelled, "I'M COMING TO GET YOU!"

Mai looked at the pile of blood. An awful thought crossed her mind. If Serenity was out here…then was that…Serenity's blood?

"Joey-" she started, but was silence when she saw a dark figure out of the corner of her eye. She whipped her head around and saw it vault over the hedges and disappear into the garden.

"Joey!" Mai urgently tugged at his sleeve, "Joey! I just saw something go into the garden! It could be after Serenity!"

"WHAT!" Joey yelled. Without further instruction, he ran towards the entrance of the garden. It was then that he noticed the trail of bloody footprints leading around the hedges.

Tristan noticed it too, "Look! Serenity left us a trail!"

"Yeah well, that means she left a trail for whatever else is after her, too!" Mai retorted.

"SERENITY!" Joey yelled, "IF YOU CAN HERE ME, PROTECT YOURSELF AND DON'T YELL ANYMORE! THERE'S SOMETHING COMING AFTER YOU!"

"Joey!" Tristan smacked the back of the boy's head as they ran, "You'll scare her!"

"As if she probably isn't scared already!" Mai spat.

"Look!" Tristan pointed, "The footprints go this way!" he pointed down a side strip. Mai took off after them.

Joey was about to head their way when a shed caught his eye. He suddenly stopped and turned to face the shed. Something about the lonely and deteriorating building called out to him. For some reason…he felt the need to go in there….

Joey's eyes fogged over, but his mind remained in tact. He felt himself walking over to the shed.

_What am I doin'! I should be looking for Serenity! She's in trouble!_

As he turned the knob, a scream in the distance seemed to assure what he knew. Still, he walked into the room.

A light flickered on above him, and he looked around the abandoned storage room.

There was a lot of junk filtered around, but one thing in particular caught his eye.

_It's a motorcycle…. What the heck is dat doin' in here?_ Something tugged at the corner of his mind. Something told him to go to it. To touch it.

_No! I need to go help Serenity!_

His hand reached forward.

_I NEED TO HELP SERENITY!_

He touched the handle of the bike.

**_But you're in MY control now._**

Joey's eyes glinted blood red and he looked over towards the entrance of the shed, grinning maliciously.

In a raspy voice, he uttered, "Some rats are going to _die_ today…."

* * *

Seto grunted as he blinked his eyes opened. _Where am I?_ He woke up, rubbing his head. _God, my head and neck are killing me…. Did I sleep crookedly or what?_ He moved his hand down the back of his neck to try to massage it. What he felt there made him jump. _What the! What the heck is on my neck?_

Seto stood up and looked for a mirror. He found a decorative one on the wall and ran over to it. He wiped away the dust collected on there with his sleeve and turned around, craning his neck in any possible way to see.

"Ack, it's no use. I can't see a thing," Seto gritted his teeth. It was then, out of the corner of his eye, that he saw another mirror. It was a small, handheld one that was held in a nice, silver frame. He grabbed it and made it shine, holing it up so that it reflected the mirror behind him. He smirked, "There we go…."

Positioning the mirror to where he needed, he narrowed his eyes when he saw two wounds exactly from where the pain erupted.

"How the heck did I get those?" He looked even closer, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was bitten by something…. But what leaves two pointed bite marks?" His thoughts immediately reeled to the world of fantasy and a vampire came to mind.

He slammed the mirror back down on the stand where he had found it and clenched his fist, "Dang it! Yugi and his geek group are starting to affect _my _insanity now! Vampires! Come on!"

Thinking about Yugi made him realize something else. Something missing…. Some_one_ missing….

"Gardner!" his eyes widened, and he scanned the room frantically, "Blast it, Gardner, where did you go now! And Mokuba! Where are you Mokuba! Gardner? Where are you two!" Seto called out.

He received no answer for a moment.

And then there was a scream. A girl's scream….

"GARDNER!" Seto ran out into the hallway. Off in the distance, a green light faded. "GARDNER!" Seto ran to find her.

* * *

"Dark magic?" Yami questioned, looking at Bakura.

Bakura turned a glare onto him, "Oh tell me the great pharaoh doesn't sense it! All these years you've babbled to Seto Kaiba about sensing a greater power afoot, and now you can't sense the darkness within this own household! You're a disgrace to all Egyptians…."

Yami stomped his foot, "Of course I sense the darkness in the house! I was merely questioning about what _kind_ of dark magi you're talking about! You're the expert on darkness here!"

"Pot calling the kettle black," Bakura mumbled as he opened the Orichalcos book.

"What?" Yami demanded.

"Nothing," Bakura replied turning to the first page. Yami looked down at it at the same time.

"What is that?"

"It's the seal, stupid," Bakura sneered, "See? In plain -well…that's not English," Bakura squinted at the writing below the green symbol.

"Or Japanese," Yami replied. "It looks like an ancient language."

"You think?" Bakura snapped. _Touchy_, Yami thought.

"Well, it's not Egyptian," Yami replied.

"No duh," Bakura retorted, "Nor Babylonian, Greek, Latin, Indian, or African. It's not any language I've ever heard of or come across."

"So it must be even _older_ than Egypt," Yami's eyes widened, "Could it be?"

"Well, you just answered your own ques-"

"No, dimwit," Yami replied, rather uncharacteristically. Yugi whistled inside his soul room. "What if it's…_Atlantean?_"

Bakura stared at him in shock, "You're _mad_, Pharaoh! No one even knows if Atlantis even existed!"

"Of course it did."

Yami and Bakura froze. Slowly, they turned around. A boy was hovering between them.

"You!" Yami cried out.

The ghost smiled, "I'm sorry boys, but I can't have you pestering where you don't belong," he grabbed each one's shoulder. They both looked shocked that he could actually touch them. "I must ask you to leave now." He squeezed their shoulders and a white aura surrounded their forms.

"What the!" Bakura snapped as his legs started phasing through the floor. The ghost pushed them down harder so that they sunk faster.

"You won't get away with th-" Yami's rant was cut off as he was totally submerged.

"There now," the ghost wiped his hands. "Now then…" he turned a glinting eye to the Orichalcos book. Touching it, he muttered some words, and the language suddenly melted into English words. "Perfect. Now to go back to what I was about to read." He flipped through some pages and found a diagram of a green gem. "There…. Now where did the man put it?" The ghost flew over to some of the shelves, scanning their holographic contents. "No, not here…. Perhaps behind a picture? The man always had safes around the place." He phased in and out of walls, scratching his chin. "It's not here! Where could it be? I swear I've seen it more than once. After all, the stone is what Gozaburo used to become the business tyrant that he was…. The book says that the stone is to stay in close contact with the person using it at all times- Aha!" The ghost smiled and snapped his fingers. He flew up to the room above. It was the old master's bedroom.

"If I were an expensive ring, with a certain green gem in it, where would I be?" The ghost checked all nooks and crannies. Of course, he only did this to double check. As the search went on, his ideas began forming into a place where he was almost _positive_ Gozaburo Kaiba had hidden the ring. After all, great minds think alike.

"So maybe it _isn't_ in his room," the ghost flew to the room next door, "Maybe he left an heirloom…." He set his feet down on the ground and walked to the bed post. The posts themselves ended in round knobs at the top. The ghost boy twisted one and a slight and almost silent swishing sound of pressurized gas being released signaled as a part of the wall slid back to reveal a secret staircase that wound its way downstairs.

The boy took the passage and pushed a special brick on the other side to close the wall-door. He took the stairs two at a time and came to a special chamber on the first floor. There was a grate about as tall as him and he walked up to it. Peering through it, he could see the living room.

He looked around the chamber and spotted the ring immediately. It was set on a small cushion in a glass box encasement.

"He must have really cared for this," the boy took hold of the glass box and gazed at it lustfully. "He must have had it transferred back here before Seto sent him to his death. He obviously didn't want such a precious –and rather unneeded, in Seto's case- artifact in that mongrel's hands. Or his little brother's. Mokuba was just too naïve and innocent for this sort of power."

The boy turned around and continued to talk to himself. "After all, this stone is said to bring out the worst in a man: to show his faults and darkness. But it can also help that man achieve power. Gozaburo Kaiba stumbled across this tone one day –why, he said an exotic looking man gave it to him one day, along with the book. The man, Gozaburo said he had not given a name, had just found him and presented the two gifts to him, saying that he had been watching and waiting for him for _many_ years. He said it would help Mr. Kaiba achieve great wealth and power, with little cost on his own part."

The boy opened the case and took out the ring, watching it glint in the chamber lights, "And Gozaburo –the fool- bought it."

"Mokuba? Mokuba, where are you?"

The boy turned around and smirked as he tapped a secret lever to open the other door into the living room. He set the ring and cushion down in plain sight on a deserted side table near the middle of the room. "Yet," he stood back and mulled over it, looking at it fondly, "It will be coming in very handy in about two minutes," He gave a malicious grin and fizzled into the air.

* * *

"Mokuba?" Tea peeked into another room. "Mokuba, where are you? I know you're here somewhere! Come on, Mokuba, where are you?" she stepped into what looked like a living room.

The living room had a few sparse pieces of old, dusty and somewhat torn furniture. She looked around, scanning the room for Mokuba's figure, in case he was hiding, for some reason.

Something in the center of the room caught her eye. A green gem-embedded ring lay on a small cushion, seeming to have its own internal shine.

Not being able to help her curiosity, Tea walked over to it and peered at it closely. It seemed to have a strange force tugging at her to just…touch it.

_What's the harm in holding it anyway,_ Tea reasoned. It was a rather fascinating ring, and there was a force pulling her towards it…. She would only look for a second.

Tea picked up the ring and examined it. Nothing happened, as she had expected. She was just being slightly...paranoid.

Suddenly, the gem in the ring began glowing. Tea gasped and dropped it to the ground. She backed up, but ran into something. Turning around, she noticed a translucent, shimmering green wall that had encircled itself around her. On the floor, below her feet, she saw a strange symbol, spinning around.

She screamed as she felt the power of the symbol sucking at her very soul.

And sudden, everything stopped. The light disappeared, and Tea fell to the floor; an empty shell.

* * *

Serenity stayed still, just as Joey had told her.

But…_had_ it been Joey? What if this ghost could mimic voices too? Was she just standing around, waiting for her doom?

"N-No," she shook her head, "I'm sure it was Joey's voice!"

Her eyes suddenly caught hold of a dark figure vaulting over the hedges a few lanes from her.

Her eyes widened, and she abandoned her position, running back towards the behind of the maze. She wanted to put as much distance as possible between her and that…_thing_.

She ran quietly, peering down paths when she came to turns, to check if the coast was clear.

At one point, she began getting a cramp from all of the off and on running. She slowed to a walking speed, but listened cautiously. There were no sounds in the maze of a garden. She seemed safe for now-

The dark figure suddenly leapt out from between bushes and pounced right on her. She screamed as she fell backwards and hit the stone floor.

But her scream was silenced as Mokuba forcefully placed his lips on hers.

Not only had the action silenced her…but the shock of it as well.

But there was a sudden sting in her mouth, and she felt a cold _something_ running from the sting, all throughout her body. Serenity's eyes closed as she fell into a cataleptic state.

* * *

Tea's eyes fluttered open slightly. Her head still hurt. She blearily saw a familiar face looking at her caringly. Also…the ceiling looked a bit closer than it had a minute ago….

She knew why that face looked familiar! The hair color was just…off. Perhaps it had something to do with her confused brain? Unconsciously, she mumbled the name of the person she believed to be supporting her.

"K-Kaiba?"

The figure smiled and gently closed her eyes for her, whispering quickly, "Yes, yes; now just rest for a little while, Tea. Just rest…."

_Since when does Kaiba call me by my first name?_

The ghost looked down at the prize in his arms. The girl's soul had been torn from her body, thanks to the power of the Orichalcos. She could now stay with _him_ for eternity!

And not a scratch to her flawless body, either.

That was just the way the boy wanted it.

* * *

Whew! Not only was that a rather lengthy chapter (or so it seemed…), but all of the different points of view got me spinning! Whoa…. Anywho! I hope you all still like this story! It's wrapping up and coming to a close…. Anywho, PLEASE REVIEW!

PS: A virtual plate of cookies to those who can tell me who the "mysterious" man was that gave Gozaburo the stone of the Orichalcos! No duh, really…. This brings me to my second point! With this introduction of the Orichalcos, it has made me think about writing a sequel to this story…with the DOOM characters…? I don't' know what it will be about yet: probably a re-writing of the DOOM arc or something, (not replaying it in words, but a TOTAL re-write!) but tell me what you think: any suggestions: anything! I'd be glad to hear from you! I just don't know if the sequel would be…a horror/suspense fic or not…. I'd have to work on that.


	10. To Save Our Lives!

NOTE: Hey! A couple notes to you all! In regards to the question of what the sting in Serenity's mouth was? Mokuba a "vampire" now, remember? As to what the "tingly" sensation was? You'll find that out later. Coughcoughcough! Secondly: please do not refer to the ghost as a pervert. He's not obsessing…well, sort of. He just wants what any boy wants: a pretty and kind girl. And that's just what Tea is. Okay? His identity will be revealed soon enough…. Thank you all so much for your reviews! You make me feel loved and inspire me to go on with this story! I'm also glad some of you say that you actually are scared with the story. Honestly, I had no idea I could write like that! I didn't think this fic would make it that far: I didn't think I could write freaky stuff, as you say. Thanks again! PLEASE READ!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 10: To Save Our Lives!**

Mai and Tristan walked through the maze with growing apprehension. Where was Serenity? And where had Joey disappeared to? They had just realized he had gone. But _where_ was the question!

"Should we stay here and wait for him? Or her?" Mai whispered. She was flipping out. Joey couldn't be gone! He had always been there for her! What would she do without him? No offense to Tristan…but he just wasn't the same.

"No, let's keep walking. We're bound to run into one or the other soon enough," Tristan set his face and walked on. "Don't let this place scare you, Mai. It's probably all just some fake piece of crap. Besides, the Mai _I_ know isn't scared of…much."

"Earth to Tristan!" Mai suddenly stood in front of him, waving her arms, "This place is _totally_ real! Yes, I _am_ freaked out! Our friends are disappearing before our very eyes! There's a ghost about the place-"

"Probably just a hologram-"

"CAN A HOLOGRAM TOUCH YOU AND YOU NOT TOUCH IT!"

"Yeah! Kaiba made his holograms lifelike!"

"Yes, but we can _touch_ them, can't we?"

"…You have a point there…. Maybe these are cheap holograms-"

"Not if there's a Kaiba running this operation. Besides, Tristan…that ghost was too…_lifelike_. He was _far_ too real-"

But before they could finish their argument, a crash sounded off not too far from them. Some pieces of wood even managed to fly over them.

"What the heck was that!" Tristan hissed, covering his head.

Mai listened carefully. There was a motor running….

"Tristan, listen to that!" He stopped and did as she said.

"It sounds like a motor…."

There was a sudden screeching of tires and Tristan and Mai both spun around to face the alley from which they had come.

Joey was sitting atop a motorcycle with his head bent low so that his bangs covered his eyes. He was revving the bike.

"Joey!" Mai cried happily, running to him, "You're back! And you found a way to get us out, didn't you-"

Joey's head suddenly lifted and an insane grin was plastered across his face as he suddenly floored the motorbike. His now red eyes flashed with madness.

Mai screamed in terror at both what he was doing and what he looked like.

"Mai, JUMP!" Tristan suddenly came up behind her and threw here into the bushes; he vaulting right after her. Joey pushed down the brakes and the bike spun to the side as he stopped.

"Come on!" Tristan winced as a branch cut his cheek. He grabbed Mai's arm, with was all scratched up now and they tore out from the opposite side of the bushes in a dead run to get out.

Rounding a corner, they froze.

"JOEY!"

* * *

"Ohhh…my head," Yugi grimaced as he slowly rubbed his aching skull. His back was on fire and he felt no motive to get up from his sprawled position.

_I've got to get up…. I must see where Ryou landed…._ Yugi tried as best he could to sit up. He couldn't. In fact, he couldn't even _feel_ his legs.

_Am I…paralyzed! Yami! Yami, help me! I can't get up! YAMI!_ Yugi continually shouted in his mind. The spirit was not answering. Was he unconscious?

"Yugi? Are you there?" a voice coughed to his left.

Yugi craned his neck slightly and saw a few ends of white hair laying next to him.

"Ryou? Are you alright?"

"I think so," he wheezed, "Just got the wind knocked out of me. A few broken ribs, I think. Hopefully, no punctured organs…." His breathing was slow and deep; Yugi could hear it plain as day.

"I'm in a bad position as well," Yugi commented, "I don't know if I can get up."

"Let me try. I'll see where we are and look for some help. I doubt I'd be able to lift you up on my own." Yugi heard Ryou struggling to stand.

"Is Bakura knocked out too?"

"I believe so. Unless he is ignoring me. There is no answer when I call for him."

"Same here," Yugi sighed. His head was throbbing. What had happened to them? Last he had seen through the soul room, the ghost had come up behind Yami and Bakura. Then, they had fallen through the floor and-

Everything went black a few seconds later as the ceiling receded.

"Well," Ryou was looking down, "I see why we almost killed ourselves. In fact, we were lucky to _not_ kill ourselves. We've landed on pure concrete, in some kind of hole…. It looks like it might be a pool."

"A pool? Then there must be doors to the outside, right? Or at least back to the main house?"

"Let me check," Ryou coughed violently. "Oh…not good."

"What?"

"I think…I think I'm coughing up blood now…."

"Ryou, just hold on. We'll get out of here. Just be calm…and try to find us a way out. Hopefully our spirits come around soon. Then, we'll have to rely on them."

"Yes," Ryou huffed, trying to stop himself from coughing. The boy leaned against the pool edge, pushing himself along on wobbly legs to the stairs. He slowly climbed them, using the rail for most of his support. Reaching the top of the stairs, he looked around.

"Yugi…we're surrounded by windows! I'm sure we could break some! And there are some doors that lead both out and inside."

"Great! I wish I could help you, but…."

"Here," Ryou turned back around and walked back down the stairs, slightly faster, "I'll help you up and we'll see what your legs can do." Ryou bent down carefully by Yugi and slipped his arms under his. He struggled to lift as hard as he could. Luckily, Yugi was a light boy and was lifted easier than expected. Yet when he stood on his legs, he felt nothing and his head rushed with a sudden, temporary blindness and his head pounded uncontrollably.

Ryou steadied him, "Yugi! Are you alright?"

"I don't know if I can walk…but otherwise, I'm fine. I'll live."

"I sure hope so. Both you and I," Ryou answered. "Come on, can you move your legs at all?"

"I don't know…. I can't feel them. I'm trying to move them…but they won't respond. Ryou…do you think I'm really…paralyzed?"

"Oh, Yugi, I hope not. That's irreversible. However, there are some accidents that cause you to temporarily lose walking ability. It takes rehab."

"Which takes weeks."

"True…" Ryou sighed. "Come on…I'll try to drag you some. But _try_ to move your feet."

"I will," Yugi nodded slightly.

Ryou pulled him a bit and slowly they made their way across the pool. Once they had made it the stairs, Yugi put a hand on Ryou's shoulder.

"Ryou…just leave me here. We'll never get up the stairs. I hate to leave you to trying to break us out, but I won't be of any help."

"I understand. Tell me if you see or hear anything strange. I'll try to find a way out," Ryou set Yugi down on the bottom step. Then, he stumbled off to the doors. He first tried those leading outside. They would not budge. And the glass framing them would not break! Again! Ryou tried the windows that lined the entire room from floor to ceiling. Those would not shatter either! Outside, though, he could see a long hedge running across the backyard and a cobblestone path before it. Ways off, he swore he saw something sparkling on the ground in light of the feeble moon. Not only was something sparkling, but a dark substance seemed to be shining as well….

Ryou sighed and tried the doors that led inside. No luck there, either! Well, it was probably best not to trod on Yugi's hopes. He would try until he succeeded! Or…he would _die_ trying.

Yugi was sitting on the bottom steps wondering what he could possibly do, when a sound intrigued him. He looked around for the sound and his eyes settled upon what made it.

Out of one of the jets in the pool, a tiny stream of water was trickling.

That didn't seem right. Water would have been cancelled here long ago!

"Ryou-" Yugi started. But he was cut off as the trickle suddenly burst forth in a deafening roar, jetting across the pool. Five more jets popped up, and one hit him directly in the side of the head, knocking him to the floor, unconscious, as the pool began to fill up with water.

* * *

Seto couldn't believe it. What had happened to her? He ran over to Tea's lifeless body and hoisted her up so that she was lying against him.

"Gardner?" he shook her slightly, "Gardner? Tea? What happened to you?" he could not hide the panic in his voice. What had happened to her! He checked for a pulse.

…There! It was very, very faint, but it was there.

He looked around the room. Where could he safely put her? How could he get her help?

Yes, he _needed_ to help her. It was mandatory. On the outside, he may have seemed to reject any friendship out of the group, but on the contrary, he couldn't let anyone _die_. It was so barbaric to stand back and watch them suffer the loss of their lives….

Why had she been away in the first place? Why had she left the room? He was sure she had been in there. Why did she leave? Where could she have possibly wanted to go!

"Gardner…why won't you wake up already!" he demanded. There was no answer. She must have been knocked out quite cold.

* * *

Tea opened her eyes once more. She was lying on a couch in a dark room.

She sat up and looked around, "W-Where am I?"

"Ah, you're awake. Wonderful." Tea spun her head around. An older teenager sat next to her. He seemed quite happy, for some reason.

"W-Who are you?" Tea brought her legs towards her.

"Ah. I cannot reveal that _just_ yet. I can give you a riddle though, to pass the time. I have places to go and people to see. But I'll have _plenty_ of time for you, dear."

Tea blinked. What did he mean by, 'Plenty of time for her?'

"You wish for the riddle?" Without waiting for her to answer, he continued, "_Two_ things," he held up two fingers in front of her face, "If that isn't enough of a clue: I reject what you say; and I also interject amazement." He paused, seeing the stunned look on her face.

"What kind of a riddle is that-?"

"Just one more thing," he leaned in close to her. Tea bit her lip and leaned back, slightly.

The boy's eyes suddenly glowed, "I'm the only one you know. …I'm the only one you can tru-" he stopped, looking up. Tea snapped out of her trance and stared at him. The boy narrowed his eyes, and then said, "I'll be back soon, Tea. Just something to take care of…." He vanished into thin air.

Tea blinked. She was not surprised that he had vanished. In fact, it almost seemed like a natural, everyday occurrence. But that riddle! Did he come up with it himself? What kind of a riddle was that? How stupid! Still…she had to know his name, if he wouldn't tell her!

…And how did he know _her_ name! She didn't even know how she had gotten here! In fact, all she knew was who she was. There was nothing else. No memories: nothing.  
"I guess I'll just...explore some until he comes back. He seems to be the only one who knows what's going on, after all. In fact, he seems to be the only one around here," Tea stood up and walked around in the darkness.

"'_Two_ things. I reject what you say; and I interject amazement.' Is he talking about nouns? Or actual words? Gosh, how _confusing!_" she messed with her hair and suddenly bumped into something.

"Whoops," she said, stepping back. She gasped.

A small head looked up at her. It was a little boy….

"Tea?" he whispered out, "Is that you?"

Tea blinked. The poor thing looked pitiful in this state! His black hair hung loosely around his head and obscured most of his dark and clouded eyes. He looked rather pale and weak, hanging against the black wall; hanging by chains. He was kneeling on his knees.

"You poor boy; what happened to you?" Tea knelt down, lifting his head up slightly and looking into his eyes.

"Tea…get out of here while you can," he coughed.

"…How do you know my name?" she inquired. "…Who _are_ you?"

The boy looked surprised for a moment. "What do you mean? …Tea…what's going on? Don't you know who I am?" The boy looked hopeful.

Tea bit her lip. Was she _supposed to know him?_

Words suddenly came back to her:

_I'm the only one you know…._

There was a red glint in her eye and she looked back at the boy, "No. I don't know who you are."

The boy's face took a turn for the worse. He seemed to pale some more, and his eyes widened, making him look even more desperate.

"But Tea! It's me, Mokuba! …You've got to help us!"

"…Us?" Tea inquired. The boy looked to his left. Tea turned her head as well and her eyes widened.

There was a whole line of them, just hanging there!

A girl with long, chestnut hair was slumped, and looked unconscious, for her hair all fell forward as her head tilted towards the floor. Her legs were bent under her. Beside her, another ebony head lifted: this one having a ponytail to hold back most of his hair.

"Tea!" he cried out hoarsely, "You've got to warn the others!"

"W-What? How come you all know my name!" Tea stumbled backwards.

"Tea," the small boy tried standing, "Find my brother. Find all of the others!" he stood up, swaying. He lifted his head, and his clouded eyes looked into her shining ones.

"You _must_ warn them before their time comes."

"What time! What are you talking about!" Tea backed away, "You're…you're all…insane! That's why you're chained here! There's something wrong with all of you!" Tea turned around and broke into a run.

"Tea, wait!" the boy ran forward, but the chains suddenly stopped him and he fell backwards, "TEA! YOU'VE GOT TO HELP THE OTHERS!"

* * *

Joey zoomed towards the two, caught like deer in headlights. Tristan suddenly slung Mai through another hedge and he leaped after her, but Joey managed to graze his lower leg. Tristan cried out in pain as he made a jerky landing in the bushes. He looked at his leg. The bottom of his pants had been ripped off and blood was oozing everywhere from a gargantuan wound, from where the high-seed motorcycle had hit him.

"Come on, Tristan! You have to risk it!" Mai pulled him this time from the bushes on the other side.

Joey skidded to another stop down the aisle. He gritted his teeth and pointed towards the stone path in front of him. It suddenly began to rise up into the shape of a ramp.

"HAHAHA!" Joey laughed evilly into the night, "You two rats won't escape this maze _ALIVE!_ I'll kill you before the dawn breaks!"

He floored the motorcycle and it raced up the newly made ramp.

Mai cried tears of pain, sadness and confusion as she and Tristan loped through the maze of hedges. Why was Joey trying to kill them!

She suddenly heard the motorcycle closing in. But…it was from-

-ABOVE! She and Tristan looked up just in time to see the cycle fly over them, with Joey staring down at them.

He bounced down onto the path and turned the bike around sharply to face them.

Mai suddenly turned down another path, dragging Tristan along, who was trailing blood everywhere they went. He was actually crying as well. The pain was tremendous! His leg stung as if punctured with thousands of needles, and the warm flow of blood did nothing to help his mind's eye.

Joey raced after them, his eyes red and bloodthirsty.

* * *

Ryou heard the roar of the faucets and turned around suddenly. The pool jets had been turned on, somehow! And Yugi was down there! He raced, forgetting his pain, although her tripped at the finish line. He stumbled at the edge of the pool and fell headfirst into it.

However, the jets had already created enough water so that he did not hit his head on the concrete. He surfaced and looked around. Where was Yugi!

The thought suddenly hit him. He dove back under water and opened his eyes: the water stinging them. Everything was blurry and dark down here…there were no lights!

Where was he!

And that's when he spotted an even darker mass on the floor of the pool.

_YUGI!_ Ryou swam towards the boy and heaved him up to the surface of the water. Ryou surfaced, gasping for air and pulled Yugi's head above the water. Yugi wasn't responding.

"Yugi!" Ryou slapped his face, "Come on, bud, WAKE UP!"

Yugi couched, involuntarily, to rid himself of the extra water in his lungs, as Ryou performed something to the extent of the Heimlich maneuver on him. Still, he did not open his eyes.

"Yugi! You've got to wake up! Come on, wake up!" Ryou cried out desperately, slapping the boy's face harder. He hated to hurt Yugi like this, but the pool was getting near its full point, and the jets didn't look like they were going to stop any time soon.

Ryou struggled to get to the stairs and dragged Yugi along as the water began spilling over the edges of the pool. He slid his comrade over to the doors that led outside and began pounding on then, and using whatever was nearest to break the glass.

"Come! On! Break! NOW!" Ryou gasped with each word as he swung his fists and other objects at the glass. "I! Won't! Give! Up! We! Will! Not! Die! HERE!" Ryou stopped hitting the glass for a moment to breathe. He looked down and gasped. The water had already reached past the soles of his shoes. HE had Yugi in a sitting position near him, so that the boy would be able to breathe for a while longer.

"COME ON!" Ryou yelled, giving the glass all her had. Still, it did not shatter. He tried pots from the corners of the room that had once held plants.

Only the pots shattered.

He found a chair and tried to break the doors down with that.

The chair splintered and broke.

"WHY WON'T YOU BREAK!" Ryou shouted, pounding the glass. He _HAD_ to get them out of here! He could not have them die by drowning!

The water was up to the top of his shoe now.

* * *

Tea suddenly burst forth through the black wall and stopped. She looked down and saw that she was floating above a living room.

Seemed normal enough – the floating, that is. All she knew was that she had been a ghost all her life.

She flew through a wall and looked around. She was in a hallway now. There was nothing here. No one.

"Who were those people?" Tea shivered, "How did they know my name? What did they want from me? They were all complaining about warning others…before their time came. What is that supposed to mean! And that dumb riddle too! What's that got to do with anyone's name! Argh! This house is beginning to creep me out!" she spat, flying up through the ceiling.

After floating through the house for quite some time, she suddenly came back to the front hall.

Something about it intrigued her…. The stairs had caved in, and there was a dismantled chair near a window.

"This place needs some serious repair," she lighted down onto the floor. She looked around the room. Something about this place seemed sort of…familiar….

She looked to the doors and they seemed to capture her attention. She walked over to them and ran a ghostly finger over them.

"What's so special about you?" she cocked and eyebrow. "I could walk _right_ through you and be out of this place. So, I think I will-" she stuck out her right leg and put it through the doorway. As she had slipped halfway through –she could see the outside world now!- a voice behind her startled her and she turned around.

"Well…we're back where we started." Tea's eyes widened. He was the first live being she had seen in this place, from what she had explored of it!

He was carrying a girl in his arms. He set her down on a nearby couch and slumped against the wall; his head falling to meet his chest. He looked worn out….

Tea stepped out from the doorway and back into the hall. Who was he? And who had he been carrying?

Tea ran over to the couch and looked at the girl lying there.

She gasped.

It was…_her!

* * *

_

Ryou struggled to keep afloat, while holding onto Yugi at the same time. The _room_ was already half filled up, and he was trying to keep them on the surface of the water, and trying to still pound the glass as hard as he could.

This was restrained, due to the fact that he had to hold Yugi and swim upward at the same time.

"SOMEONE HELP!" Ryou had now resorted to shouting this, "SOMEONE: ANYONE! MAI, JOEY, TRISTAN, **SOMEONE!**" Ryou called out with all his might. It was no use. He could not see anyone outside, nor inside. Were his friends even alive, still?

* * *

Tea turned to the teen, now sleeping against the wall.

She wanted to talk to him: to find out what was going on! But how? She was a spirit and…he was asleep! Would she even be able to wake him up?

Something suddenly snapped in her mind. Of course! He was _asleep_!

Tea knelt down beside him and ran a hand down his jaw, gently. She closed her eyes.

The supernatural could come in contact with the mortal more easily when the mortal was asleep….

* * *

Ryou and Yugi were at the top of the room now, with only about half a foot of air left to breathe. He shoved Yugi up as far as he could and Ryou breathed quickly. As he used his feet to propel himself, he also used them to kick the glass doors and windows.

The water was raising rapidly. He had to turn his face to the ceiling to breathe, although water escaped into his lungs from time to time.

There was an inch of air left. Ryou had no choice. Now, he had to dive. He let Yugi breathe in regularly once, then held the boy's mouth and nose closed. He took a draught of air and plunged beneath the surface as the last of the air disappeared above him.

He opened his eyes and swam to the windows, still holding Yugi's mouth and nose closed. He kicked at the glass once more, small bubbles of air flying out of his lips when he kicked.

His lungs were beginning to cry out for oxygen. Yugi was beginning to shake in his unconsciousness.

They were both running out of air, fast.

_I must…keep fighting…_ Ryou's sight was beginning to blacken, due to lack of oxygen.

_I cannot…pass out... …I…I…I need air,_ his eyes closed and he sunk with Yugi.

But not before he had seen a bright light glare through the windows.

* * *

Mai and Tristan emerged from the maze on another side of the courtyard, near a wall of glass. They panted heavily.

"I think…we lost him…a couple turns ago," Tristan fell to his knees.

"Yeah…. I don't hear the cycle…."

"It had a very quiet motor: not natural. It could be anywhere, and we wouldn't know it."

"Dang it, Tristan, why do you have to burst my positive bubble!" Mai protested.

He snapped at her, "Look! I'm trying to give you all the facts so we can save our lives! If you haven't noticed, Joey's gone berserk and is _trying to kill us!_ And where do you think Serenity disappeared to! She was probably picked off long before Joey went nuts!" It hurt to talk about Serenity like that, but it was really what he thought….

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Mai retorted, angrily, "She WAS NOT picked off! She probably escaped-"

"AHA! FOUND YOU!"

Mai and Tristan turned their heads to the hedges, which coughed leaves as Joey and his motorcycle parted through them, tearing them up.

"YOU'RE MINE!" he grinned wickedly, speeding towards the two almost helpless victims.

"NO!" Mai cried, feeling the tears fly out of her eyes. They were in the direct line of fire.

The next few seconds seemed to go by in slow motion.

Tristan whipped his body around to face Mai and shoved her out of the way. She stumbled from the spot and turned her head as she fell, just in time to see Joey ram Tristan from the side and send the brunette flying.

"TRISTAN! NOOOOO!"

* * *

Am I evil? Please tell me! I hope you all liked that chapter! Kind of boring…until the end. MUWHAHA! What's going to happen…? Ryou and Yugi are drowning; and Tristan was hit with the motorcycle. Will Mai be next? And what will Tea discover in Seto's sleeping mind? See you next time! PLEASE REVIEW! (PS: There should be about two more chapters left, I think…. Short story, I know, but it had to be that way! Probably an epilogue too, okay?) 


	11. The Living The Dead

NOTE: Apologies, apologies: that's all I seem to be giving lately. Yes, I'm VERY sorry that I haven't updated this in FOREVER. But here it is now! Please read! Not much left now!

Haha, BUT…you get a scary…ish…chapter for Halloween! Whoa…I've been writing this for a year…COOL!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 11:**

**The Living; The Dead**

Tea looked around at her surroundings. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. She was surrounded by a dense fog which continually floated about her. The air was rather chilling and she rubbed her arms to warm them up more. She walked around some.

_What weird dreams this boy has…but maybe I'll find him somewhere…and maybe I can get some answers from him._

She suddenly looked up, feeling a presence near her. In front of her, she saw a darkened silhouette against the cloudy fog. Putting on a small smile, she ran up to the figure and soon saw that it was indeed the person she had touched. She then stopped, seeing she was preoccupied with a young boy before him.

The older boy knelt down and put his hands on the younger one's shoulders. "Mokuba! Please, give me some straight answers! What are you saying? Where _are_ you!"

Tea thought this was a rather strange question to ask. The boy was right in front of him!

The boy looked up at him and his black hair fell against his face, "I'm not who you think I am, Seto…. I'm not only _your_ brother-"

"Whatever, Mokuba, but please, where _are_ you!"

The boy suddenly seemed to tense slightly and he looked over at Tea. She froze, meeting the boy's eyes. It was the same child who had reached out to her in chains in that room where she had first woken up.

The boy gave a quick smirk and she saw his features begin to change into another familiar face-

She gasped, _Him! 'I reject what you say; and I also interject amazement.'_

Seto turned and suddenly noticed Tea, his mouth opening slightly. Seeming as if he had more important people to gape at, he turned Mokuba's head and his eyes suddenly widened as he saw the transforming face as well, before the boy disappeared in a vapor of smoke, melting in with the fog around them.

"MOKUBA!" Seto cried out.

Tea stood there. _What a strange dream…._

_**And what are YOU doing here….?**_ Tea jumped as the voice whispered into her ear, filling her entire body with the cold sense of dread. Her mind blanked out.

_Was he…was he here too? Or…is it just the impact of the dream…?_

Seto stood there, staring at his empty arms now, as if disbelieving what he saw. He slowly then turned to regard Tea's presence, and to her surprise, he began walking over to her.

Tea backed up slightly. She didn't know this man…but he had had her _body_ with her….

Before she was aware of it, he had taken her by the shoulders.

Tea looked up into his eyes, slightly frightened. He looked back at her with vacillating expressions:

Concern, surprise, irritability, care….

"Tea…what happened to you?"

* * *

Mai watched, devastated, and feeling completely useless as Tristan was flung into the air by the force of the oncoming vehicle.

"TRISTAN!" Mai cried out, stumbling to her feet and trying to walk towards him. Joey suddenly whipped past her and her head turned synonymously with the bike. She locked eyes with Joey for a moment who looked…

Scared.

"Joey?" she whispered. Joey's eyes had ceased to be red and he looked at Mai in that second with complete horror and remorse; tears threatening to spill, as if he could not believe what he had just done.

"Joey," she repeated his name and then looked to where he was going. Her eyes widened in shock, "JOEY, WATCH OUT!"

Joey turned to face the front of the vehicle and gasped as he saw what was coming.

"JOEY, JUMP! **JOEY!**" Mai cried out, holding out a hand as if that alone would stop him.

It was too late.

He couldn't jump…there was no way he would make it…. Mai's hands flew up to her face as if to hide her eyes, put her fingers were parted in that distressed way.

**_CRASH.

* * *

_**

Ryou blinked through the chlorine-stinging water and saw a flash of lights heading their way. Unconsciously, his mind slipped form him, and his mouth opened, letting the last of his air escape as he and Yugi sank to the bottom of the room just as the lights shrank to definite beams.

* * *

Mai's eyes widened and her pupils almost completely disappeared as she witnessed the most horrific thing she had ever seen.

Glass clattered everywhere – some even nicking her and she covered herself to make sure she did not get hurt too badly. And suddenly, she felt a wave of water smack into her full force, sending her to her bottom. She coughed as the wave washed over her head, temporarily cutting off her supply of oxygen.

When she felt it safe enough, she looked up and to her horror, she saw Joey lying amongst the glass; blood covering him in dozens of cuts and grazes; the motorcycle lying on his right leg, crushing it.

His eyes stared up at the ceiling, his mouth agape in surprise.

Mai began to run for him, but hesitated. What about Tristan?

Her head spun around to face Tristan. She saw his head craned crookedly –had it snapped? She cringed- watching her. He gave a forced smile and looked towards Joey, signifying that he was still alive and that she should focus her attention on Joey. Mai nodded and sprinted over to him, disregarding the glass shards as she knelt down beside him. Immediately, she felt his blood join hers as she wiped off his face and laid his head on her lap.

"Joey, _please_," she cried; tears falling like Niagara Falls, "_PLEASE. _You can't leave me like this1 PLEASE! Joey, I LOVE YOU!"

She clutched his blood-stained arm in her hand and put her head against his matted blonde one.

She cried freely, letting all emotions escape her, "_Please…just give me a sign of life and I'll help you…."_

She looked up, thinking that maybe he was unable to…and that she should check for a pulse. But as she looked up, she noticed a couple of corpses lying a few feet away.

In shock her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped, causing her to get blood on her face as well, "RYOU! YUGI!" She quickly checked Joey's pulse, feeling a _slight_ vibration. Ryou was still holding Yugi as if he was his only lifeline. They did not look like they were breathing.

* * *

Tristan lay on the ground, panting for breath. His body hurt like the flames of the Underworld all over. Nothing was left unscathed. He winced as he tried to move. But he could move nothing below his waist.

_No…not my back…it can't be broken!_

He felt a few tears escape him and saw the blood still flowing over his lower leg where he had gotten his first injury from Joey.

His breathing became harder as he strived to keep alive. He could hear Mai panicking in the background but every sound was muddled to him at the moment.

His sight was spinning and his mind felt blank. Nothing was discerned correctly….

Something stepped into his line of vision. …A shoe?

He strained to tilt his head up a little more and sent his eyes to the extreme corners to look to see who was there.

His gasp came out as a cough of blood.

"D-Duke!" he coughed violently, crying as the spasm jerked his body, causing him to feel pain everywhere.

Duke glared down at him emotionlessly.

"Duke…h-help!" he spat.

Duke held something up. Something that glinted in the moonlight….

A dagger.

"D-Duke!"

Someone stepped out from behind Duke, who was significantly smaller and physically different.

Tristan's eyes widened as the boy smirked.

"Good night Tristan." He turned to Duke and looked up at him, both giddy and with authority.

"Kill him."

* * *

"**_MA-!"_** Mai froze when she heard part of her name being called. She stopped her rush to Ryou and Yugi full of human curiosity.

But as the saying goes…

Curiosity killed the cat.

A small breath of surprise escaped her when she saw the ghost-boy look at her with eyes of icy-hatred.

Mai's eyes then landed on the knife embedded in Tristan's back and she gave a shriek of terror.

The ghost suddenly bent down and ripped out the knife, throwing it in her direction, all in one fluid motion.

Mai's scream pierced the night.

* * *

Tea flinched at his touch. Why was he so near her, like he knew her?

Wait…he knew her _name_….

"W-Who are you?" she inquired.

Seto looked shocked beyond belief.

"What do you mean, "Who are you?" I'm Kaiba, you idiot."

Tea blinked, "K-Kaiba?"

"Yeeeah," he replied, "What? You lose your memory or…some…thing…?" She looked at him blankly and Seto understood.

"Gardner, what happened to you? What's with the sudden memory loss? Why did you faint?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Tea squirmed out of his grasp and stumbled backwards, "And that boy that was there before! Who was he? He was…he was the same boy who told me to warn someone to…to do something before their time came! To…to, what? He never said!" Tea clutched her head and fell to the floor. Her mind was beginning to pound.

"Gardner, what are you mouthing off now-"

"SHUT UP!" she shouted, tugging more at her hair. Her head was throbbing…flashes of memories ran though her mind…. She couldn't take it anymore…her head was going to explode.

She felt a pair of arms encircle her.

* * *

The dagger hadn't hit her. In fact…the kid had _horrible_ aim. Mai sighed in relief seeing the dagger veer off above her line of vision.

She barely registered the sound of a _clink._

Something jutted into her back, and her sigh became her last breath.

The boy smirked as he walked over to the pile of four corpses. He saw the dagger lying to the side where it had rebounded off the dangling piece of glass that he had aimed for. In turn, the glass broke free of the wall and plummeted into the girl.

A trigger of sense sped through him. He huffed. He had business elsewhere now….

With one last look at the four friends he laughed lowly, "Rest in peace fools." He felt energies surrounding him and suddenly smirked. "Or…not."

* * *

Tea looked up, and to her surprise, she saw blue eyes staring back at her. Those eyes looked up.

"She belongs to me, Kaiba."

Seto jerked backwards upon seeing the familiar ghost take hold of Tea. His eyebrows furrowed, "She doesn't belong to anyone…she's her own person."

The ghost smirked and held her tighter, "Not when you possess her soul…_and_ her memories."

Snarled and lunged at him to rip the boy off Tea, if necessary, "Get your filthy hand _off_ her!"

Seto suddenly made contact with the floor of his dream world and he stood up immediately, not letting anyone get him while he was down. He looked around everywhere.

They were no where. They had just…vanished.

Seto's eyes suddenly snapped open.

* * *

Seto picked up Tea and set her in his arms. He knew her soul was somewhere…that much he was sure of. So…he was going to look for it. And her friends as well.

So he had not believed in soul-separation before…or ghosts. But he also did not believe in such real dreams. He had awakened badly shaken and felt like everything that had happened in the dream had been _real_. To an extent at least…

And another thing…he had not forgotten a single part of it. Normally, dreams were dismissed by him and he forgot them instantly. But this one lingered…and it lingered like an actual memory.

There was also the fact of that ghost. Yes, normally, he didn't believe in ghosts either, but this place had too many inexplicable things happening: even some things Seto himself could not prove, unless the answers were very radical.

So he was allowing himself room for the thought of an actual ghost. After all, what with the many magical things that had supposedly been happening in his life, what wasn't he supposed to believe now? If he didn't start accepting the ghost now, he'd be bombarded by the other geek's comment about it sooner or later.

…If they survived, that is. Or if they had not lost themselves within the confines of the house.

Seto turned to face the door and stopped. His eyes widened slightly.

"Mokuba…."

Mokuba stared back at his brother, "Hey, Seto. How are you?" He gave a sincere smile, albeit a tired one.

"Mokuba-" Seto began walking towards him quickly. He stopped. There was something on his brother's back.

"Mokuba…who's that?" Mokuba looked forlornly at the head on his shoulder. His hands were behind him, supporting the figure.

"It's…it's Ren. I don't know….if she'll make it or not…or if she's even alive right now." Mokuba sounded chocked up.

"Mokuba," Seto took a step forward, "Let me see her-"

A shot fired.

Seto's breath shuddered and he looked at her shoulder, where he felt the heat and the pain.

His pain-shocked expression turned upwards to regard Mokuba.

_How could he…?_

_No…not Mokuba…._

Serenity's head was lifted, and her arm was raised with a gun pointed at Seto's shoulder. Her crazed grin was the last thing Seto saw before darkness overtook him.

* * *

(If I ended here…would you all kill me?)

(Fear not. I need to get somewhere else with this before I end.)

* * *

Seto's eyes fluttered open. He sat up slowly, trying to recollect his thoughts. IT suddenly occurred to him that he had been shot.

_Was it fatal? Am I dead? …This looks nothing like the "Heaven" I've heard about. ..Purgatory then?_

Seto unconsciously felt his shoulder, and to his surprise, there was no wound there. He looked at it with his eyes, just to make sure he could believe it by seeing.

"Nothing is there, Seto, trust me. I did not want you dead. Just unconscious…and not in the sleeping way." Seto's eyes snapped around to regard the all too familiar voice.

The ghost boy floated in front of him.

"I did not want _you_ dead, Seto. No, no, not you. The rest were more or less expendable. But before I take your life…I wanted to get something clear to you. Well, many things, actually."

"How about a name, first of all, brat?"

The boy laughed, "Oh, why does everyone ask about that? I already have someone trying to figure that out…" he snapped his fingers and in the darkness, a light illuminated and Tea's slumped figure appeared. She looked up, a bit dazed.

Mumbling, Anzu said, "'_I reject what you say; and I also interject amazement.'"_

Seto furrowed his brows, "What nonsense is she going on about?"

"I gave her a riddle to solve," the boy replied, turning back to Seto, "Care to try it?"

"No."

"_Ah_, I thought so," the boy smirked. He glanced at Tea.

Tea met his gaze. She jumped.

_I reject what you say; and I also interject amazement…._

_I reject what you say…._

_**No.**_

_I also interject amazement…._

Tea's eyes widened, "His name…Kaiba!" she looked up towards Seto.

"Yes?" he turned towards her. That wasn't right…. There was an echo….

He looked out of the corner of his eye to see the boy looking at Tea just as expectantly, as if she had been speaking to him….

Tea noticed the same thing. _Could it be…._

"His name…it's _No**a**!_"

"Noa?" Seto turned to the boy, who was still watching Tea.

Tea set her eyes, taking a leap of faith here:

"Noa _Kaiba."_

Seto spun around to face her, "_WHAT!"_

Noa clapped, "Very good, Tea Gardner." He turned to Seto once again, and Seto regarded him.

"Do the dreams all make sense now? Yes, Seto, I am Noa Kaiba. –

"I am your _stepbrother._"

* * *

FINALLY! FINISHED WITH THAT! Only a chapter and an epilogue left! Whoa…I've still got o figure out the rest of the least chapter. I've got the beginning to it and the epilogue planned out…but not the real ending, haha…maybe I shouldn't have told you all that. Anywho! I hope this made your Halloween (or All Saint's Day…whenever you read this…weird how this chapter is totally opposite a saint) better and little more…gruesome! I'm sorry for the wait, but it's finally here! Thanks for putting up with me and reading it! PLEASE REVIEW!

_**HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**_

**And happy one-year-anniversary-of-this-fic to me:-D**


	12. A Dream Within a Dream

NOTE: Sorry again…nothing can make up for it…please read on…hope you enjoy…last chapter…thank you again for staying with it and reviewing….

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 12**

**A Dream Within a Dream**

"You're joking."

"I assure you, I'm doing everything but joking, dear brother," Noa gave a nasty smirk his way, even though he sounded lighthearted. "I _am_ Gozaburo Kaiba's _true_ son, and you are nothing but his stepchild. Which makes you my stepbrother, along with Mokuba over here…" Noa gestured to another end of the vast room, and Seto saw Mokuba leaning against the wall, grinning toothily at him.

And by toothily, it was thus implied that his new-found fangs glittered in the light shining on him.

Serenity stood next to him, twirling her revolver around on her index finger. Duke was sitting on the floor on the other side of Mokuba, running his finger along the bloody edge of the notorious blade he carried. His eyes were still a dull, forest green, and he seemed to be breathing a little heavily. Joey was on the floor as well, with his head on his knees. He looked up slightly, hearing Mokuba introduced, and Seto saw his eyes had turned an insane red.

"And to give us some privacy…" Noa snapped his fingers, glancing at Tea, who was still watching the two. Her eyelids became heavy, and she sank to the floor, asleep. Or so it would seem.

Seto blinked once, somewhat astonished, "What did you do to all of them?" He could not give away his concern for his brother, but it was still there. Bouncing around in his chest, his heart yearned to see his little brother let go from Noa's clutches. But there was nothing he could do. Not now, at any point.

"I did nothing but merely influenced their souls," Noa sat in the air, as if there were a seat there, and looked at his hands.

"And where are the others? Yugi and Valentine…Taylor and Bakura?" He was almost afraid to ask.

Noa laughed: it was a rather high pitched chuckle, "Well, it turns out they died too late to be of any real use." Seto's eyes widened slightly when he heard the word "_died_."

"Died?" he spoke before he could shut his mouth.

Noa could not hold his smirk off, "Why of course. Didn't I tell you that I was only interested in _you,_ Seto? Did I not say that they came where they shouldn't have come, and paid the price for it?

"Duke and Tristan were stabbed. Joey and Mai died by glass shards. Yugi and Ryou drowned. Mokuba was well…transformed into a vampire, per sae. And because he couldn't bear to see the girl he likes die, he rather…influenced her to become dark as well. Tea's soul was stolen. That's it, Seto. You are the last living person here. Now you know what became of your friends and family.

"Face it Seto, out of everyone in this room, you're the one most alive…."

Seto's hand instinctively went to his chest. Again, he found no wound from the bullet. Noa noticed this action and continued to explain, "It was all a scenario, Seto. I messed with your head, you might say. It was all an illusion. But a very convincing one at that. In reality, you were still asleep, Seto Kaiba. You never woke up from that dream you, Tea, and I were in. I just made it continue. Your body was still on the floor of that front hall. Did it ever occur to you that a gun wound would hurt far more than that? That you wouldn't have just been stunned as you were? Your mind does not know the pain of a gun, so it had to make something up. And it did the best it could."

"One can't feel pain in dreams," Seto replied, logically.

"Unless someone is controlling the brain that is having the dreams," Noa tapped his fingers together. "Seto, the world you are living in now has just expanded in your mind. All you thought mythical is real, and all reality has been shattered. What do you say to that?"

"I say it's all bull," he answered, "And I have only one question."

"Ask away."

"Is this still a dream then?" Seto asked.

"Perhaps. But then, perhaps not. Tell me, Seto, do you know the myth about spirits? In actuality, it's not really a myth. However, it is said that through dreams, spirits can better contact humans."

"I've heard that, yes," Seto replied.

"Then if this was a dream…I could touch you, no?" Noa walked over and reached out towards Seto's face.

Seto swatted at his hand to push it away, in an immediate reaction.

His hand phased right through. Noa smirked, satisfied, and stood back. "Do you see now, Seto? This is all very real. Your soul is in my realm now. The realm where I control all….."

"So what is it that you want then, kid?" Seto spat, standing up, finally. "This elaborate plan surely has a plot, doesn't it?"

Here, Noa's face took on a vengeful look, "Reprisal, of course. Sweet revenge. My life may have been stolen from me early on, but that didn't mean that I was still alive. My father found ways to keep me living, at least…virtually. But after he adopted you, he started to just forget that he even had a real son. And eventually, I knew he had entirely forgotten me.

"Soy you know what I did, Seto?"

Seto glared at him, "No, and I honestly don't care."

Noa frowned, "That's what I thought you'd say. But I'll tell you anyway. You see, Seto, I knew a lot about you, even back then. But with no one to come down and visit me in my little horror hole, life was no longer very appealing. But then, I remembered something that my father had once told me. It was about the ring, with the green gemstone embedded in it.

"He said that a strange man came to him one day, in his more youthful years. The man looked like some sort of American hippie, crossed with some priest who wore ancient looking robes. My father was in a bit of a slump in those years, and he was very desperate for money. When the man came to him –he didn't give a name- he offered him a chance to make his desires into reality.

"My father took him for an ignorant fool and was just about to walk away, when the man held up the ring. My father didn't know what had inclined him to do so, but he could not help but to look. And as he gazed at the ring, he became more attached to it.

"My father gently took the ring and asked, "What's the catch? Nothing like this can make "desires reality" without costing a fortune."

The man laughed with a cold chuckle and replied, "You need not pay anything for it. But in order to make it work, you must be willing to sacrifice some of yourself, or part of someone else in order to use it. Don't worry: the stone has never killed anyone! That person may just feel a small part of himself or herself missing. They may even go unconscious for a time, (or for life), but it does not kill.

"That stone –its given name is Orichalcos- can show you what life can be like. It can make it happen. All it asks in return…is a little sacrifice here and there." With that, the man gave him one last look –my father felt so small under the gaze of his mismatched green and yellow eyes- and turned around, leaving.

"He never saw the man again, but he said that from that day, he's had nothing but luck on his side.

"Of course, one day, my father died: you must know the story," Noa stared hard at Seto, who just stared back, "And some of his possessions were brought down into this "basement," if you'd call it that, near where I was. Among those possessions was his ring.

"I had almost given up on life, Seto. There was no point to it anymore. I did nothing all day by figure out logarithms and some other nonsense. It was a boring and futile existence, and I was sick of it.

"But when I saw the ring, his story came back to me. _What type of sacrifices_ _would it want_, I asked myself. And it hit me.

"_Souls_."

Seto furrowed his brows, "Souls?"

"Yes," Noa nodded, "The ring took souls…or parts of them, depending. And so, I knew what I wanted to do. My body was still alive: my brain was still functioning, as were my heart and lungs. Thus, I still had a soul. I devised a way to get around the stone sucking me into it, and still staying free of that virtual nightmare.

"All in all, what I pretty much wanted to become, is what you see here. A specter. I knew the tales: ghosts came to earth with their work incomplete. I certainly believed I had left things undone on this world. Such as making you pay for stealing my father's attention from me.

"So I decided that I would unplug myself. The virtual world would disappear, and with it, my virtual self. And because it was connected to my body; that would supposedly shut down as well. But I thought that with the ring being so close, and so eager for the souls it yearns for, it might try to catch me, like a vacuum, before my soul disappeared forever.

"Another upside: the Orichalcos had never been known to kill anyone. So it needed to suck a soul from a live body. If it caught me before the realm of Heaven did, then by its magic, it might still keep my body alive, but still unconscious, as it has been for six years. And yes Seto, four out of those six years haven't been virtual consciousness. Four have been magicked into life.

"I'm still here. Therefore the plan I just told you about did indeed work. And my body is still as alive as ever it was since that blasted truck hit me.

"Tell me Seto, have you ever believed in ghost stories?"

"Frankly, no. You still could be another hologram as far as I'm concerned," Seto retorted. "You phased right through me. It just proves it."

"True. But, can holograms hold things?" swiped the dagger from Duke, who's head was on his knees, and held it out in front of him, towards Seto. "Can holograms kill?"

"NO!"

Noa froze and his eyes widened slightly. Seto narrowed his eyes at the sudden outburst. It was a familiar shout…. Yet so hoarse, it was almost unfamiliar….

"Mokuba?" Seto turned around to the fanged boy, who was still leaning up against the wall.

But as he looked that way, he saw that not only had Noa bewitched Tea into falling asleep, but the others as well. He had not really taken in the fact before, jut thinking them to be lifeless zombies; but they really were asleep!

Noa's eyes condensed and he spun around in the air, throwing out his arm as he yelled, "QUIET!"

"S-Seto! Help us!" the voice had become meeker, and much softer. "Set-"

"ENOUGH!" Noa launched the dagger into the darkness of a corner of the shadows. Silence responded.

"_MOKUBA!"_ Seto scuttled towards the direction where Noa had thrown the knife. He reached the dark area, trying to adjust to its lack of light. Dimly, he could see the outline of his brother, chained up against the wall in a sort of medieval manner, and the knife lodged right by his skull. He lay deep within the dark wall.

"Next time, I'll make sure not to miss," Noa hissed, walking over and wrenching it out of the wall, none too gently.

The resulting action caused the dagger to scrape by, slicing Seto's arm. He grasped and placed his weight backwards, to miss the dagger as it neared his chest. Seto fell too the floor, clutching his arm, where he could feel blood trickling against his hand. This pain hurt more than the gunshot. Noa seemed correct. He hadn't known what a gunshot would feel like, so the pain was bearable before he "passed out." But if this really was real, then this slice hurt like crap.

And he knew the pain of knives from before, whether it was an accident or not.

Seto was still staring at Mokuba, amazed. His eyes traveled back and forth from the boy before him, and the unconscious vampire a little ways off.

"I don't understand," he whispered.

"And you were never supposed to," Noa answered. "He was to remain silent, so that you never knew. But I suppose now, that I must tell you."

"Spit it out, _now_," Seto breathed a little more heavily than normal. His shoulder was throbbing, and the liquid oozing between his fingers did nothing to help calm him down. He needed to top the flow of blood fast, before he lost too much.

Noa glared at the little crumpled figure of Mokuba and drew out, "These are their real souls. I only used their physical bodies to do my bidding. Call them zombies if you'd like, but in essence, I separated them, just as I myself am separated. So, lucky for you, their spirits are still intact, even if it doesn't quite look like it.

A light shown somewhere –Seto could not tell from where- and is shined on the line of prisoners, hanging against the wall. Seto's eyes widened as he looked down the row. Duke, Mokuba, Serenity, Joey, Yugi, Ryou, Mai and Tristan…. They were all kneeling on the ground, looking beaten and scarred. Their heads hung lifelessly. Mokuba's head was barely held up as he regarded Seto with his dull, dark gray eyes for the first time in hours.

"Seto…it really is you. …Y-You have to help us…" he whispered. "Help…Se…to…."

Seto suddenly felt something cold under his chin.

"How can he help you…when he can't help himself?" Noa inquired, holding the blade steady under Seto's jaw. "This has gone far enough. Your time has long since passed, brother. I've wanted my revenge for years now...and I shall finally have it! With your spirit out of the way, I can take my place in your body – a finely functioning one, and reclaim my original title as the Kaiba Corp. president. No one will ever know the difference between you and me.

Seto's mind was racing. What could he do? He was pretty helpless against an intangible ghost.

Wait….

Intangible?

Seto looked down towards his chin (a rather difficult task). He swore he felt something on his chin…and not the dagger.

It was the edge of Noa's finger.

He _WAS_ touching him!

_So what does this mean? How can he be touching me, when he couldn't before? No, wait…. **I **couldn't touch him before! He never laid a finger on me. I just passed through his arm! So in some sort of bizarre reasoning…I can't touch him, yet he can touch me!_

_But didn't he say that he can only touch people in a dream, because ghosts are closest to people in their subconscious?_

_None of this is making sense! But then…some of it is. Something in my mind says, "It makes sense! Just think!"_

_…_

_…_

_…_

_Of course._

_If he can only touch me in my sleep…then this MUST be a dream! He was only waiting for me to react and push him away before…so that it would look like it wasn't a dream!_

_I'll give him credit for slyness. But in the end, it didn't work. Seto Kaiba falls for **nothing**._

_…_

_…_

_…_

_Wake up._

_Wake. Up._

_WAKE UP!_

_**WAKE UP!**_

**_"WAKE UP!" _**Seto suddenly looked up and shouted. Noa jumped from the sudden outburst, the knife falling from his unclenched hand.

* * *

Seto sat up right as his eyes opened. His eyes were wide, and he had broken out into a cold sweat. He looked at his hands; his breaths coming out in long draughts. He felt both his chest and shoulder.

Nothing.

It was just as he had known it. It had all been a dream. Either that, or Noa had only removed his soul for a time.

Seto looked around frantically, fearing that he was still in the fight for his life.

Nothing. He was in the main foyer. The dusty pieces of furniture still lay around, and the broken chair from their first few minutes in this cursed mansion still lay scattered in piece in front of the collapsed staircase.

But there was one thing missing.

Tea. He had brought her body out here, but now it was gone. In it's place was a most familiar ring.

Thinking quickly, Seto grabbed a nearby piece of fabric and grabbed the ring, using the fabric as a shield. It must have had some sort of curse on it now, to take Tea's soul away with a supposed touch; yet his father had worn it throughout his days.

Seto ran to the door, his heart still pounding. There was nothing he could do for the other people in here: they were all gone.

He felt tears come to his eyes. As much as it pained him to leave Mokuba behind…nothing could help it. He didn't know where his brother was, and he could have been dead for all he knew. Everyone else had died, and Noa had only wanted Seto's body.

He would just have to escape and hope that if there was any ounce of life left in the others, that they too would find a way out of their horror hole.

He put his hand on the handle of the front door. Last time, it had been locked tightly. He was positive it still was, but what hurt was there in trying?

He pressed down on the handle, and the door swung out easily.

Seto stared out the entranceway. He couldn't believe it. He was free.

Just like that. Nights of turmoil and horror in this mansion; and he could see the exit from here.

It was too easy.

_Hehehahahaha…._

Seto spun around, expecting to see Noa standing behind him, like so many times before. But there was no boy.

Just a voice….

"_Run Seto…run. But you'll get no where, fast."_

Seto took off. He knew when he was given a chance. And it was any chance he was eager to take. Even if he could have been walking into a trap, there were ways to deceive the deceiver. Seto's mind worked quickly like that.

He tore down the front lawn, walking over both gravel and grass, caring about nothing but getting to the gate and letting himself out.

His feet carried him far, yet it still felt like an eternity would pass before her reached the exit.

He was almost there though…he could almost reach the gates, and swing them back.

"_I TOLD YOU; YOU CAN'T RUN, SETO!"_

Seto looked back, just enough to see Noa's form flying from the mansion, like an arrow: with the tip of the dagger aiming straight for him. Behind him, the souls of his friends and Mokuba flew, each waving some mad objects as well.

Serenity laughed in unison with the other darkened spirits and shot some bullets in the ground, near Seto. He felt the pebbles fly up and graze his bare skin, and hit the covered parts of him, though still making a mark.

"_DEATH IS JUST AHEAD, SETO!"_ Noa called out.

Seto tried to quicken his dash, but his hearty was already beating harder than it ever had, and his legs were tiring from his mad sprint.

He ran smack into the gates, not caring how much it hurt, and pulled at them to get them open.

But they remained locked. He pulled hard and furiously for a couple seconds, all the while, looking back over his shoulder at the long drive.

The flood of ghosts was gaining upon him quickly. But he couldn't escape!

_He was right…I did run into death…._

He clenched his hand, and felt something beneath it.

_The ring…._

Seto spun around and held up his hand.

Time seemed to go into slow motion.

The ghosts were not two meters away from him when he held up the ring and revealed it.

Noa's eyes widened, but the other ghosts barely seemed to notice what Seto held.

Seto gritted his teeth. _God save my soul…._

As the entourage neared, the green emitted a bright, pale green light that obscured everything.

Seto was blinded in the action, and felt a cold chill descend upon him from when the great white light around him suddenly turned black.

* * *

Aye. That's the end of the story. …Save the epilogue. But there you have it! An update, FINALLY! I know it was probably a bit (or a lot) confusing (I myself had a time trying to write it in a non-confusing manner) but it was the best I could do, and the best logic I could get. It may not have been the best chapter ever, but it was a chapter. I hope it was good enough for you all! The epilogue should be pretty short, so look for that last and final update next! Hopefully not TOO far into the future. PLEASE REVIEW! 


	13. Epilogue

NOTE: Thus the final installment of Haunted Mansion. You all have had your guesses. You all have had your thoughts. Now…you shall see what I've had planned from nearly the beginning! I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Epilogue**

Seto shot up in bed, sweating terribly. He heaved for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He had broken out into a cold sweat. All his bed sheets had been twisted around. Some were even lying on the floor from his constant kicking and seizure-like jerks.

"What…the _heck_ was that?" Seto breathed heavily. He held his head. "It felt…so real." Vaguely, he realized his left shoulder was very numb. He glanced over at it, glad to see it was still in one piece.

He looked around. He was in his room. No mansion…no ghost. No gunshot wound. Nothing.

_It was all just a dream…._

His door opened. Seto froze.

"C'mon, Seto," Mokuba poked his head through, "you've got half an hour left before school starts! Get moving!" he suddenly held his jaw, rubbing it.

Seto got out of bed, "Something wrong, kid?"

Mokuba winced, "Nah…just a toothache or something. …Or a bunch of toothaches. And I've got a bit of a queasy stomach, but it should pass. I skipped breakfast: it looked revolting. But anyway, get moving!" He shut the door.

* * *

Joey parked his bike at school and slowly got off it. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…" he whimpered, finally just letting his bike fall onto the others parked there. He walked slowly into the front yard of Domino High. Duke was lying under a tree nearby, looking like he was asleep. Joey limped over to him and lightly nudged his leg with his shoe.

Duke cracked open an eye, "Mornin'."

"Hey. Not enough sleep?"

"Oh, plenty of sleep. My back's just killing me. I want to lie down before I have to sit in those crappy plastic chairs all day."

"Yeah. Strange…I woke up dis morning wit' pulled muscles all around or somethin'. My whole body's on fi'a. I feel like I just got a full-out workout yesterday or somethin'."

Duke nodded, "I understand how you feel. I was fine last night before…before…" Duke furrowed his brows. "Hey wait a sec…. Weren't we all out together last night?"

Joey frowned, "Now that ya mention it…."

"Hey guys," Tea popped up happily beside them.

"Why is she so full of sunshine?" Duke sighed, closing his eyes once more.

"What's up with him?" Tea inquired.

"His back hurts. He's not the only one…though I'm beat all ov'a," Joey answered.

Tea narrowed her eyes, "No kidding."

Joey turned his eyes to her, "Do you feel strange? You wake up with any weird injuries?"

Tea shook her head, "Nope. Just a little discombobulated, but after last night, what can I expect?"

"What _did_ we do last night?" Joey inquired. "Duke an' I were trying to figure that one out."

Tea looked at him incredulously, "You forgot already? Why, we-" she stopped. "We…we…." She looked at the ground as if trying to figure it out.

"See! You can't remember either!"

"What can't Tea remember? Do we have a test or something? Aw man, if Tea doesn't know, we're all doomed!" Tristan hobbled over.

"What's wrong with you now?" Tea crossed her arms, "What is with you three?"

"It's nothing…just a pulled leg muscle…and a stretched back muscle, but that's all," Tristan stated.

"You all sound like you were running marathons last night instead of…wherever we were," Tea commented. "Was Ren alright?" she turned back to Joey.

"Yeah. I mean, she remarked that her jaw hurt a bit, but it's probably just wisdom teeth or somethin'-"

"Joey…she's fourteen. That's _really_ young for wisdom teeth. It's not…unheard of…but it's still really young for it to be bothering her."

"An' the dentist nev'a mentioned them. Hmm…could just be something else. I dunno," he shrugged, wincing. "Say," he looked around, "where are Yuge and Bakura?"

"Ah, Mr. Muto called me. He said Yugi's in bed with something that looks like pneumonia."

"That's terrible!" Tea gasped, "I hope he gets better soon!"

"Yeah…Bakura has it too I think," Tristan added. "I think Mr. Muto said that. Bakura must have called Yugi to ask him to bring his homework at the end of the day, but Yuge was sick too. I dunno. I was half asleep when I got the call."

"I wonder how Mai is doing," Tea stated. "She was with us too…."

"But man," Tristan sat down beside Duke, "I had the _freakiest_ dream. We were on our way back from the…place, wherever that was, and we got sidetracked at this creepy old house-"

"A mansion," Tea breathed.

Tristan frowned, "Yeah…how'd you know?"

"It was moneybag's," Joey screwed up his eyebrows, watching Kaiba himself step out from his limo in front of the school.

"Yeah…it was. He and Mokuba were there. Kaiba told us to get off the property."

"Then I went inside," Duke suddenly said. They all turned to look at him. His eyes were wide as he looked at each one present. "Do you think…we all….had the same dream then?"

"But that's unheard of," Tea said.

Joey turned around and cupped his hands over his mouth, "'Eh, Kaiba! Get over 'ere!" Seto stopped and glared lightly at the blonde boy. Figuring he could spare the mutt a little peace of mind, he stepped over for a moment.

"What do you want?" he inquired.

Tea was about to beat around the bush and ask him what was on all their minds as casually as possible, but Joey took the shortcut and blurted it out right quick, "'Ey, you didn't happen ta have a weird dream that we were all at that ol' Kaiba Mansion, did ya?"

Seto froze, his eyes widening. "What did you say?"

"I take that as a yes," Tristan affirmed. "Did you end up dying as well?"

Seto blinked. _How could they know? They couldn't all have had the same dream…it's not possible!_

_Then…did it all really happen? But…it makes no sense. We're all here, in one piece. And I have no recollection of going back home afterwards. Just…waking up in bed._

"I'm not sure," Seto replied honestly. He last remembered running to the gate and holding out the green stone up to a bunch of oncoming ghosts. Then he woke up.

"You know…I don't think he did," Tea put a finger to her chin, "There was a crowd of ghosts attacking him – I was right behind the leader, pretty much being dragged around. And he held up a ring, and everything went white. That's when I woke up."

Joey scratched his head, "That happened? I don't really rememb'a that…. I kinda quit dreamin' after I ran into a glass wall. I mean…I remember being sorta half awake, half asleep afterwards, but that's about it."

"Same here," Duke added. "My dream was really short though. It sounds like you all had a much longer experience than I did."

"But…who _was_ that leader guy?" Tristan leaned against the tree.

Tea bit her lip, "…No…ah….No…Noa. …That was it. Noa-"

"Mr. Kaiba!" a teacher ran down the steps trying to reach the student. "Mr. Kaiba, can I please see you in my office? I have something to discuss with you." Seto scowled and went along with the instructor.

Joey turned back to Tea, "Noa what? Were you about to say something?"

"No. …I forgot."

* * *

Serenity reached Domino Middle School. She rubbed her jaw. Man, did it hurt! Hopefully she had just slept on her head in a strange position or something. She hoped it was nothing the dentist needed to fix.

"Hey, Serenity!" Mokuba jumped down from the brick wall lining the front of the school yard, "How are you?"

Serenity looked up and smiled, "Fine, fine. Just a bit sore in the mouth. You?"

Mokuba looked at her quizzically, "You too? That's weird."

Serenity blinked, "You mean…your mouth hurts as well?"

"Yeah…go figure," Mokuba rubbed the back of his head. Serenity watched him. A sudden vision shot through her mind.

Mokuba popping out of the bushes.

Mokuba tackling her to the ground.

Mokuba pressing his mouth against hers.

Serenity blushed immediately, looking away. Why had _that_ crossed her mind? Sure, she had dreamed that little segment last night –and a strange overall dream it had been- but she should not dwell on it. Why had she even dreamed about him…like that anyway?

Mokuba looked at her. She was trying to avoid eye contact. Why? He noticed a bit of red on her cheeks. She was blushing? But why?

"Ren? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah!" she turned back to him, trying to rid herself of the pink. "Just fine! Come on…we should get going-"

Mokuba stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder. "Serenity, seriously: what's wrong?"

Serenity paused for a moment. "You'd…think I was crazy if I told you."

"Try me."

"I'd…rather not." Her blush deepened. Okay, so she had interpreted those words just a _little_ differently from how Mokuba had intended them to sound.

"Serenity-" he stopped as she turned around and suddenly kissed him. He blinked slowly, but soon relaxed into the kiss.

Around the schoolyard, students began to witness what was going on. Some even started catcalling and cheering them on.

Mokuba moved his hands up to her jaw and forced the two further into the kiss.

A sudden stinging of pain on his shoulder snapped them out of their act.

"Cleaning the boards and desks after school for the two of you!" their homeroom teacher put her hands on her hips, "PDA is _not_ allowed on school grounds, and I will not tolerate it! And you!" she turned to the rest of the school body, "All of you should be ashamed…."

She blathered on and on about meaningless school rules that no one followed, but the young Kaiba and small Wheeler did not pay attention. They hooked hands and had all that they needed. All troubles flowed away.

A boy sat in the branches of a tree in the schoolyard. He smirked as he saw them. The wind blew and rustled the leaves, blowing them across his view. When the breeze died, the boy had disappeared.

* * *

"I'll meet you guys at the front of the yard. I just have to run to my locker really quickly," Tea told the guys and took off for the opposite end of the hallway from which they set off. She ran to her locker, and upon reaching it began to undo the lock.

Seto was putting his things away at his locker, just a couple away from hers. Tea opened her door and was about to shove some extra books in when she noticed a white envelope sitting atop her pile of books.

"How did that get in there?" she whispered, taking out the envelope and pushing her books in. She shut the door and turned the envelope over in her hands. There was no name on it. Only hers.

Seto glanced out of the corner of his eye towards her. "Secret admirer, Gardner?" he inquired, smirking.

Tea frowned up at him, "Don't be silly. No one would ever like me like that." She began to open the envelope messily. Seto rolled his eyes and stared into his locker blankly. He wasn't as sure about that as he had been a while ago….

Tea picked up her backpack and shouldered it while slipping out a crisp sheet of white paper from inside its hold. She began reading. Seto closed his locker and made to go when her gasp stopped him. He turned around to find her gaping at the letter.

"No way…it can't be," she whispered. She looked up at him, her expression full of shock. What was she looking at him for? He hadn't given her the stupid thing.

"K-Kaiba…read at least the last line of that…."

Seto looked at her suspiciously and took the note from her. He unfolded it and began to read:

_Dearest Tea,_

_I just wish for you to know that I shall never forget one such as yourself. You brought a…feeling to me which I have not felt these many years. It has…changed me, I believe. Seeing your determination and your love has been a large help for my own transformation. I have a long way to go yet, but after seeing you and your friends brave countless dangers, I am inspired._

_You may not notice me, but I will always be…hanging around. I cannot leave, and yet I must. I will never be able to come into society. Just know that I will never forget you._

_And please…give Seto and Mokuba my apologies_

_Yours truly,  
__Noa Kaiba_

Seto looked up, amazed, only to find Tea looking to the side of them. He followed her gaze and saw a lone figure in the shadows of the hall that branched off from this one.

The boy looked up. His sea-green hair uncovered his eyes. He gave a small smile and disappeared into the darkness.

As if he had been only a dream.

* * *

**Finished: 7:29 PM, March 28, 2006 **

….And there you have it folks. That is the end of Haunted Mansion. I hope you enjoyed it! And I hope you liked the ending well enough. Haha, see? I can't kill people and keep them dead. It's not quite my way. I'm not as evil as you thought, am I? Well then, I hope this story wasn't a complete waste of your time. I really hope you liked it! I appreciate all those who have stuck with it and who read it from beginning to end! Thanks again so much: you don't know how much I appreciate it! I was surprised how popular this story was: I'm really happy with its success (for a horror story!). Well, if you could lave one last REVIEW, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again! See you later!


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